Chapter 14

Seeing the satisfaction in Ethan's eyes, Stella knew that he was overdoing it with the affection act. She had asked him before why he had helped her, and his explanation was that since they had agreed to play the role of a model couple, they couldn't show any flaws to the public, as he didn't want Horizon Group's stock price to plummet. In Ethan's view, Avery's words probably threatened his stock price, so he couldn't help but look unfavorably upon her. As their gazes met, Stella's eyelashes trembled slightly. She sighed inwardly, then took the hand that Ethan extended to her. His palm was warm, and the fingertips, covered with calluses, lightly rubbed against the back of her hand, causing a tingling sensation that gradually warmed her usually cold hands. Aaron stared at their clasped hands, his jawline tensing, his pupils swirling with intense emotions. He clenched his fists, lifted his head, and coldly asked, "What do you mean by this, Mr. Powers?" "Can't you tell?" Ethan chuckled lightly, raising his eyebrows in a carefree manner. "Of course, it's to pick up my wife after work." The endearing term "wife" uttered by the man, coupled with the deadly tone, made Stella couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for him. Aaron had always been measured in his actions and rarely lost his temper. But now, his face was completely darkened, his expression tense, his eyes as cold as ice. He no longer looked at Ethan, but stepped forward and grabbed Stella's wrist. "Stella, I'll take you home." His grip was too tight, and Stella had to exert all her strength to pull away from Aaron's hand. With furrowed brows, she looked at him and said, "I've told you, we have no relationship since you ran away from the wedding." She had known Aaron for so many years, and she hoped they could break up gracefully, but he clearly didn't want to give her that chance. Aaron's eyes were decisive, and his clear voice was filled with suppressed anger. "You are my fiancée. How could we cut off our relationship like that after so many years of being together?" Stella was almost laughing out of frustration, blaming herself for being too resolute in her past sacrifices, which made Aaron think she would always stand still, tolerate him, and understand him. Even now, he probably still thought she was joking with him. Her eyes filled with irony as she looked at Aaron. She shook her head helplessly and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Sure, we will have a relationship." Then, her voice became clear and audible, "When you marry Avery, you will be one of my relatives." That was the reality. Aaron froze immediately, his eyes showing a hint of shock, staring at her intensely, his suppressed emotions on the verge of breaking down. As it was time to leave work, besides the people behind Aaron, there were also many other employees gathering in front of the elevator. Seeing this scene, they all looked at each other and whispered in discussion. Stella, noticing the situation, ignored Aaron. She turned her head and glanced at the man who was leisurely enjoying Aaron's expression, then pulled his clothes gently and said, "Let's go." Ethan gave Aaron a final glance, then reached out to casually put his arm around Stella's shoulder, nodding nonchalantly. But as he turned around, he suddenly revealed a meaningful smirk, his voice low and melodious, "Goodbye, brother...in-law." Aaron's fingers clenched suddenly, but the next moment, the elevator doors closed slowly, leaving only the last image of the two figures walking together etched in his mind. ... The Bentley parked downstairs. Stella got in the car, finally relaxing. She hadn't expected Aaron to find her at the company. She had always tried to avoid personal matters becoming the gossip of the employees. She didn't want to argue with Aaron in front of so many people, but today turned into a bit of a joke. But it was also good thing. With Dean deliberately spreading rumors to stabilize people's hearts about Aaron being involved in Avery's elopement, Ethan coming to pick her up from work today might improve her situation. Thinking of this, she looked at the man beside her. After getting in the car, Ethan let go of her and leaned back in his seat casually, opening the laptop on the tray to attend to work. His expression appeared highly focused, his demeanor distant and a far cry from the gentle demeanor he had just displayed. Stella couldn't help but marvel at the man's acting skills. He was able to make a comeback for a reason. For the sake of the stock price, he was truly capable of anything. "Ethan," she broke the silence first. He casually lifted his eyelids, tilting his head slightly. "What is it?" Stella hesitated for a moment, then finally said what she had wanted to say in the morning, "Thank you for picking me up from work. Actually, I hope that we can get along well from now on." Ethan assessed her for a few seconds before he lightly nodded, seemingly in a good mood. Seeing his response, Stella continued, "So, we both should try to avoid unpleasantness like yesterday." Ethan's hand paused on the keyboard, and he turned his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Did we have an unpleasantness yesterday?" "Didn't we?" Stella asked back, puzzled. Last night, they clearly had a conversation that wasn't exactly pleasant. A furrow formed between Ethan's straight brows, and he pondered for a few seconds with his chin in his hand before locking eyes with her. "Wasn't it a positive and cheerful conversation?" Stella hesitated, then once again understood the meaning in the man's eyes: he wouldn't waste time easily, so she should feel honored to have such a conversation with him. Stella choked up slightly, then took a deep breath and denied, "Of course not." The man frowned momentarily, then quickly moved on, asking, "So, how do you want to get along well?" How to get along well? Stella was momentarily caught off guard by the man's question. She really found it difficult to imagine how she and him could get along well. In high school, she tried to maintain her obedient and reserved image, but only Ethan had the ability to make her reveal her flaws. Ethan manipulated her helpful image, forcing her to do his homework and help him catch up on classes, while she often found ways to make him suffer consequences from teachers and parents. Their relationship was already strained, and they had very little contact as they grew up. Stella really didn't know what it meant for them to "get along well." After some thought, Stella attempted to speak up, "I think it should be, formally respectful, with a gentle and courteous attitude." At the very least, they should respect each other and communicate politely. Although it might be difficult for Ethan to have a gentle attitude given his temperament, he still needed to make positive efforts and show patience. "Gentle and courteous?" Ethan echoed slowly, pausing for a moment before looking at her with a smirk. "Like how you are with Aaron?" Stella sensed that something was off with his mood but didn't understand why. Ethan's eyes darkened, his gaze becoming profound and enigmatic, his voice turning cold. "I am not Aaron." With a swift motion, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. His tall and straight figure displayed a hint of indifference as he walked alone into the villa. Was he... angry? Stella felt inexplicably puzzled, sensing his mood was somewhat unpredictable. Clearly, he had shown a hint of happiness when they got into the car. She stood there, perplexed, her brows furrowed slightly, lost in thought about the reason, even forgetting to get out of the car. In the silence, the driver picked up a bag from the passenger seat and respectfully spoke, "Mrs. Powers, this is from Mr. Powers for you." Stella suddenly snapped out of her reverie, reaching out to take the bag. Then she discovered that inside was a brand new, unopened hairdryer, the same model as the one she had previously broken. This only made her more puzzled. He had sent the hairdryer over, obviously wanting to get along well, so why was he angry? At the Malone family's residence, even though it was late at night, the lights were still on in the main hall. At the entrance, as soon as the door opened, Kate immediately stepped forward to greet him, her voice sweet and cheerful. She gestured to Aaron with a look of concern on her face, signaling him to be careful later. Aaron instantly understood his sister's meaning, nodding to her, handing his coat to the housemaid, and then striding into the living room. Claire had been sitting elegantly on the sofa waiting, her posture graceful and dignified, but her expression as cold as ice. The living room was filled with silence, with Kate standing nervously on the side, the atmosphere around her oppressive. As soon as her son entered, Claire frowned disapprovingly and began to reproach, "I heard you're investing in another movie for Avery?" Aaron sat across from her expressionlessly, nodding slightly, explaining, "Director Sheffield's movies are good, and Grandpa likes them too." Seeing him Seeing him using his grandfather as a shield, Claire couldn't help but furrow her brows and said in a stern tone, "Look, don't think you can marry Avery. I won't let her through the doors of the Malone family!" Aaron paused for a moment, then remembered Stella's piercing words from earlier that day. He coldly loosened his tie and with a hint of annoyance in his tone, said, "Mom, don't worry, I won't marry Avery." "Won't you?" Claire sneered, then questioned, "Then why did you suddenly run away from the wedding, humiliating the Malone family in front of everyone?" Claire prioritized her reputation above all else, and her son's actions had severely tarnished the reputation of the Malone family. Aaron had always been outstanding since childhood, rarely causing her any worries, but tensions between mother and son had escalated since he graduated from high school. She was a true socialite, caring deeply about the status of her daughter-in-law's family. She would never let the Fletcher family, with its declining status, become her in-laws. If Claire was somewhat satisfied with Stella, she found fault with Avery at every turn. It was unfortunate for her that her son's first act of rebellion was for that woman. "You've grown up, but I'll never approve of Avery as my daughter-in-law!" With that statement, Claire set down her cup and headed upstairs. Kate watched her mother leave and then approached with some dissatisfaction, complaining, "Aaron, what were you thinking? Because you ran away from the wedding, I don't even dare to contact Stella anymore." Though she didn't want things to be too strained between her mother and Aaron, she also didn't want Avery to marry Aaron. After all, she and Avery had never gotten along since they were kids. That woman always used some inexplicable means, making Kate look unreasonable and still managing to win her brother's favor. Kate just wasn't as clever as Avery, and disliking her was useless. Aaron sighed and furrowed his brows as he explained, "I didn't run away from the wedding. The company had some trouble, and Avery got caught up in it. I thought I could make it back, and then I just wanted to postpone the wedding for a day." "So who do you actually like now? You're not falling into Avery's trap again, are you? I don't want her to be my sister-in-law!" "Of course it's Stella." Aaron leaned wearily against the sofa, rubbing his temples. "Why does everyone think I want to marry Avery?" During the day, Stella's words had greatly shaken him, as if she was cutting into his heart with a knife. He had tried his best not to lose his composure in public. "From childhood to now, you've treated her better than me!" Kate had always felt that Avery was more like Aaron's real sister. Her brother's care always seemed to be divided in half, with more going to Avery. Aaron straightened up and looked at her, his tone soothing. "Have you forgotten our childhood? You're both my sisters. Haven't I been good enough to you?" When they were young, he and Kate had lived at the Carlson family's residence for two years due to some circumstances. At that time, Stella's grandmother took care of both of them very well, and before she passed away, she entrusted Aaron with looking after Avery. "But you had a relationship with her. Will you have one with your sister?" Kate retorted. Thinking about this, she couldn't help muttering, "Even I know that you left our city sorrowfully because of your breakup with her! You're so hopelessly in love with Avery." Aaron paused for a long time after hearing this, then said lightly, "There was a reason for that." Seeing his silent expression, Kate knew he definitely wouldn't want to elaborate on what he referred to as "the reason." She remarked, "Well, even if there was a reason, you've still driven Stella away now." Reflecting on her recent challenges, Kate let out a deliberate chuckle and continued, "She's married now. Let's see how you handle that!"