Chapter 266
Rowena had no idea what was happening, nor did she understand the relationship between Stellan and Ambrose. All she saw was Stellan’s sudden stiffening, which made her stop in her tracks as well.
“Just three minutes, and I’ll disappear right after,” Ambrose said, his voice filled with a strange sincerity.
Stellan glanced at Rowena, still visibly shaken. “Rowena, you go back to the private room and wait for me. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Okay,” Rowena replied hesitantly, but before leaving, she glanced at Ambrose once more. “Be careful.”
Once Rowena was out of sight, Stellan turned back to Ambrose with a stern expression. “You have two minutes left.”
Ambrose’s eyes darkened as he took a step closer, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. “Stellan, you know that I’m just an illegitimate child of the Vale family. I know very little about their secrets, but one thing I do know is that your Storm family’s bankruptcy is related to them.”
The words hit Stellan like a blow. Her first reaction was to laugh in disbelief. “Nonsense. The Vale family and the Storm family are far apart and have no dealings with each other. How could they possibly be related?”
Ambrose’s face remained serious, almost pained. “I don’t know why either, but what I’m saying is true. If you don’t believe me, don’t you at least believe Alaric?”
At the mention of Alaric’s name, Stellan hesitated. Her feet instinctively paused, and she turned to face him, curiosity overtaking her initial anger. “What does this have to do with Alaric?”
Ambrose took a deep breath. “Not long ago, during the final inspection of the casino, Alaric told me he suspected that the Vale family was involved in your Storm family’s bankruptcy. At the time, I denied it vehemently. But now, I’m telling you this because I can’t bear to see you searching for clues aimlessly.”
Stellan’s mind raced, her emotions torn. ‘Can’t bear to see it?’ she thought. She was convinced that this part was a lie, but the earlier part of his claim—it made sense. Alaric had been insistent about asking her about Todd, and now Ambrose was mentioning the Vale family again. Could there be a connection?
She shook her head, her voice cold. “Save your so-called good intentions. Who knows what you’re up to? Whether the Vale family is involved in the Storm family’s bankruptcy, I’ll find out myself. I don’t need you meddling.” With that, she turned sharply to leave.
Ambrose stood there, heartbroken but also strangely smug. He knew that Todd was coming to Arizona the next day, and if Stellan discovered the connection between the Vale family and her family’s downfall, Alaric would definitely step in. Ambrose couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.
In the private room, Rowena was anxiously waiting. She didn’t know exactly what had happened but could tell that Stellan had been shaken by something. She felt relief when she saw Stellan return.
“Are you okay, Stellan?” Rowena asked quickly, concern in her eyes.
“I’m fine,” Stellan replied, though she felt embarrassed that Rowena had witnessed the confrontation.
Rowena gave her a comforting smile. “Good then.” She couldn’t help but think that the tension between Stellan and Ambrose seemed similar to the complicated relationship she had with Cormac, though with a notable difference—Cormac was a good ex, while Ambrose clearly wasn’t.
The incident had soured their mood for the rest of the meal, and they decided to end it early. Stellan drove Rowena back to the hotel, then made her way home to the Knight mansion.
As soon as she entered the hall, she saw Alaric sitting cross-legged on a mat in the living room, playing video games with Elisa, looking every bit the doting father.
“Daddy, your wife is back!” Elisa called out, her voice filled with mischief. She used to say, “Mommy, you’re back,” but now she had changed her greeting.
Stellan raised an eyebrow. “Why are you alone? Where are the other two?”
“They were debating whether the chicken or the egg came first,” Elisa said, rolling her eyes dramatically. “They couldn’t figure it out, so they went to the study to look up scientific information.”
Stellan chuckled at the absurdity. “Debating the chicken and the egg? They really have too much free time.”
“Yes, they do,” Elisa said, nodding. “But it’s getting late. You should go to bed. You have school tomorrow.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Elisa said with a playful wink. “Even if I don’t go to bed, I have to leave now that you’re back. You two are newlyweds, and it’s not appropriate for me to be here.”
With that, Elisa bolted upstairs, her giggles echoing behind her.
Alaric smiled fondly, watching her go. “That’s our kid—smart and adorable.”
Then, he walked over and hugged Stellan. “How was your day with Rowena? Shopping, dining?”
“Good. We had a great chat,” Stellan replied, smiling.
“That’s good,” Alaric said. “She’ll be in Arizona for a while, so you can hang out with her more often.”
Stellan smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Hang out with her more, so you can focus on your work and avoid treatment, right?”
Alaric laughed, pulling her closer. “Of course not. I’ve already promised you. Once the acquisition of the jewelry company is complete, I’ll stop working and undergo treatment. If I can’t do it, I’ll eat my hat.”
“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” Stellan teased. “How about we take a bath together? It’s so hot, and I’ve sweated a lot while out. It’s really uncomfortable.”
“Sure,” Alaric agreed, easily lifting her in his arms and carrying her to the bathroom.
The two of them settled into the warm water of the bathtub, the heat and water soothing their tense muscles.
“Alaric, are you acquiring the jewelry company because of the Vale family?” Stellan asked, her voice serious.
Alaric raised an eyebrow, surprised. “How did you know?”
“The news,” Stellan replied. “It said Todd is coming to Arizona to invest, and his first project is to acquire that jewelry company.”
After Ambrose’s words, Stellan had checked her phone on the way back. She wanted to understand what was going on.
“Yes, the location of that jewelry company is very good,” Alaric said, his tone thoughtful. “If the Vale family gets it, it will be detrimental to Nexus Innovations.”
Stellan’s mind raced. “So Todd is coming to Arizona soon?”
“Probably tomorrow,” Alaric answered, his eyes narrowing.
“Tomorrow?” Stellan repeated. She had never heard of Todd before. Who was he, really? Was he tied to the Storm family’s bankruptcy?
She couldn’t help but wonder, What kind of person would Todd be?
The next day, Ambrose timed his arrival at the airport to pick up Todd.
He waited at the VIP arrival gate, watching as Todd strode out. Tall, burly, and exuding an intimidating aura, Todd was hard to miss. Dressed in all black, with sunglasses and disheveled hair partially covering his eyes, he gave off a wild and roguish vibe that naturally instilled fear in anyone nearby.
Behind him was his assistant and bodyguard, Bill Brant. Though nearly fifty, Bill was still an imposing figure—ruthless, cunning, and one of Stuart’s most trusted men.
“Long flight, Todd. Must have been tiring,” Ambrose said, quickly taking the suitcase from Bill’s hand.
Todd lowered his sunglasses and gave Ambrose a mocking smirk. “You’re really riding high these days, looking more and more presentable.”
“Too kind, Todd,” Ambrose replied, bowing his head slightly, though his clenched fists betrayed his frustration.
“Where’s that dog of yours? Why didn’t he come with you?” Todd asked, his voice dripping with disdain as he continued to walk ahead.
“Denny is at the hotel, making sure everything is safe for your stay,” Ambrose said, trying to keep his voice calm.
“Not bad. You’re quite thorough,” Todd said, but then his tone shifted to something more mocking. “Speaking of Denny, he’s been with the Vale group for years, but he’s just trash. You can’t win over the higher-ups, so you settle for trash. What’s the use? But…” Todd suddenly stopped, looked Ambrose up and down, and continued, “You and that trash are quite a match. If you can’t win back your woman, you might as well be with Denny. Modern society is so open; gender isn’t an issue, right, Uncle Brant?”
Bill’s lips twisted into a sneer at the remark.
Ambrose’s jaw tightened. He couldn’t stand Todd’s arrogance, but for now, he had to hold his ground. This was Arizona, after all. He was on Alaric’s side now, and he was eager to see how Alaric would handle Todd.