Chapter 127
Stella smirked. “I know what you’re gonna say. This place isn’t as fancy as the other hospital. But Andrew, do you think you deserve to be treated in a top–notch facility? Forget everything else. Just think about what you and your family did to me.
“Yeah, you stuck me in a decent hospital, but did you ever actually treat me? You wanted me dead. Always have.
“I want you dead, too. But not yet. I’m not letting you off that easily. There’s still something I haven’t told you.”
She leaned down, right next to his ear, and whispered, “Bet you didn’t know this. Anna took off the second she heard there were medical bills to pay. It’s been two whole days. She hasn’t come back.”
Andrew’s eyes started darting around like crazy. He looked like he couldn’t believe it, Stella just smiled, like she saw it coming.
She stood up straight. “It’s okay. You don’t have to believe me right now. Just wait. Let’s see how long it takes for your precious daughter to show her face again.
“And don’t forget, just because I didn’t want to save you doesn’t mean I didn’t pay for your care here. Yeah, that’s right. I’m footing the bill. As for your wife…
コ
“I saw her with my own eyes. Her family dumped her out like trash. She was covered in crap and garbage. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.
“Tell me, Andrew, don’t you think people who do evil eventually get what’s coming to them?” After that, Stella walked over to Max’s bed.
Andrew panicked. He thought she was gonna hurt Max, but he couldn’t do a thing. He just stared, helpless. Stella knew exactly what she was
doing.
She noticed how freaked out he was and kept going, just to mess with him. She went right up to Max, pretending like she was about to kill
him.
She placed her hand on Max’s oxygen tube. Andrew started making these desperate noises, like he was trying to shout, but no words came
out.
The veins in his neck popped out from how hard he was tryingwhen it looked like she was about to yank the mask off.
But Stella let go and grinned. “Relax, Andrew. I’m just messing with you. Like I said, I’m not letting you die that easily. I want to see how Anna treats you once everything falls apart.
“Alright, I’ve had my fun. You two enjoy your stay here. I’m heading out. Maybe I’ll drop by again sometime if I feel like it. Don’t die, okay?”
As she walked away, Andrew’s eyes were still wide open, like he was trying to call her back. But she didn’t even glance behind her. He must’ve pushed himself too hard, because his body collapsed against the bed, and tears started rolling down his cheeks.
No one knew if he was crying from heartbreak or just pure frustration. Stella stepped out of the hospital, feeling damn good
“Honestly, I didn’t even have to lift a finger. They’re already tearing each other apart. And Anna lived up to my expectations. She took off just like I hoped. No clue where she went, though, Stella said.
“Want me to help find her?” Jordan asked.
“I got it,” Stella said. “I’ll track her down myself.” Jordan knew full well that if Stella wanted to look into something, she’d be way faster than he, so he kept his mouth shut.
Out of nowhere, someone came rushing toward them and almost ran right into Stella. She was zoned out and didn’t even notice. Jordan
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Chapter 127
grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her aside.
As the guy passed by, he glanced at Stella, realizing she hadn’t seen him. Then he caught the icy glare Jordan shot his way. That was enough, The guy took off in a hurry.
Stella looked over at the man and finally realized Jordan had just helped her. But the moment she noticed his hand was still holding hers, het heart skipped a beat. She tried to pull her hand back and said, “Thanks.”
“Don’t get too flattered,” Jordan said with a tiny squeeze. Her hand was soft, but there were some calluses. It made him feel a little protective.
“Got it. Hey, don’t you have work to do?” Stella asked.
“I was actually on my way to the office. What about you?” he replied.
“I’m heading in too,” Stella said. Since they’d both left late that morning, it made sense to get back now. She was curious how the research team was doing.
“I’ll give you a ride,” Jordan offered. Stella was about to say no, but when she saw he’d already walked ahead, she had no choice but to follow
him.
When they got to the office, Jasper and the rest of the team were already waiting in the conference room.
They stood up to greet Stella, but then noticed Jordan walking in behind her. Jasper was the first to speak. “Mr. Erwin, good to see you.”
The others followed suit, all greeting Jordan one by one. Jordan gave a small nod. “No need to be formal. I’m just here to check out your research findings. Go ahead and run the meeting like I’m not here.”
Earlier in the car, Stella hadn’t said much. Jordan wasn’t super chatty either, but he felt like it was time they had a real conversation. So he asked what the company had been working on lately and if she needed any help.
That opened things up. Stella started sharing her thoughts with him. Jordan thought her ideas made a lot of sense.
He told her his schedule wasn’t packed and asked if he could sit in on her meeting. He promised not to interfere, just listen.
Stella said, “Sure, why not? If you’re willing to be there, that’d be great. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to running a company. If you’re willing to listen and give me some feedback, I’d appreciate it!
And just like that, Jordan got exactly what he wanted. Everyone took their seats. Even though Jordan said he’d stay out of it, they all knew he had real influence. After all, he’d invested a ton of money into the business.
Stella sat down and got straight to the point. “Alright, tell me what you’ve learned from your research.” Jasper gave a signal, and one of his team members stepped forward to present.
Stella listened to several reports. When they were done, she nodded. “Not bad. You guys took this seriously. This is the kind of data I was hoping for. So, we’ll move forward based on this strategy for our supermarket rollout.
“We’re going with a chain model. We’ll start in more than twenty cities nationwide. If things go smoothly, we’ll expand into third-, fourth and even fifth–tier cities.
“Don’t underestimate smaller cities. In recent years, we’ve all heard about the ‘sinking market‘ trend. That’s exactly what we’re targeting, not the high–end crowd.
“Our goal is to build a brand that lasts for a hundred years, not one that disappears after a few. We’re creating our own identity, Service. quality–everything has to be on point. Everybody with me?”
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“Yes!” the team answered in unison.
Stella looked satisfied. “Great. That’s it for today. Go work on your proposals. I want to see your best ideas within a week.
Everyone filed out. Stella stayed behind, still buried in reports. She didn’t realize how much time had passed. Then it suddenly hit her that Jordan was still there. She looked up. When she was just about to speak, her lips accidentally brushed against his.
C
