Chapter 75
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
‘Badmouthing me?’ Stella thought. ‘So that’s why Grandpa stepped in-because of me.
Stella caught the key part, but she wasn’t surprised. If Victor ever stopped insulting her, now that would be shocking. Thinking about how Richard had stood up for her, Stella’s eyes grew misty, and her heart was flooded with warmth.
Harvey noticed the change in her and spoke softly, “Hey, it’s alright. No grandpa would just sit back and do nothing if someone talked down to his granddaughter.”
“I know,” Stella nodded, pushing down her feelings for now.
Victor had clearly steeled himself for what was coming. “I apologize,” Victor said, stepping up to Stella with his posture stiff and unyielding. It was clear he hoped she’d just let it go, sparing him the humiliation.
But Stella wasn’t about to let him off the hook. She met his gaze calmly, quietly accepting the apology from an old grouch who never knew when to quit.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked bad about you behind your back.” After a long pause, Victor finally bowed.
Stella didn’t respond, let alone forgive him. What they had done, she would never forget for the rest of her life.
“Grandpa, let’s head out,” Stella said, gently supporting Richard as they walked outside. Marvin and Harvey followed right behind.
By the time they paid the fine and stepped outside, it was already midday.
“Why don’t we find somewhere to grab lunch?” Harvey suggested.
“You guys go ahead, I’ve got some stuff at the office,” Marvin replied, waving them off. He’d ditched a meeting to get here, so now that it was all sorted, he had to hurry back.
“Uncle Marvin, just promise you’ll eat before burying yourself in work, Stella called after him. The rightful source is.net
“Will do,” Marvin answered, flashing her a reassuring smile before heading out.
With Marvin gone, Stella took the wheel and drove, with Harvey and Richard in the car.
“That should be enough. No need to order a bunch-better not be wasteful,” Richard said, checking the menu.
They sat around the restaurant table, having placed their orders. Then Stella piped up, “Grandpa, normally you wouldn’t even run into those Finch guys. How did you overhear him talking bad about me?”
The Spencer and Finch families lived worlds apart. Even if they went out wandering, it was nearly impossible to just bump into each other.
Richard grumbled, clearly put out. “They go nuts and move right across the street from us. I step outside, and the first thing I hear is him mouthing off about you.”
He figured a quick apology would settle things. But Victor just had to be stubborn as hell-now look, got himself chewed out before he’d even admit he was wrong.
“Across the street?” Stella frowned. The Finch family might not know the Spencers lived there, but there’s no way Sylvia didn’t.
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Chapter 74
‘Did she really just forget to mention it, or was she deliberately setting us up for an awkward run-in?’ Stella wondered.
As she was still thinking, Harvey clicked his tongue. “Do these people have radar on us? Can’t go anywhere without running
into them.”
Stella glanced up and saw the Finches walking into the restaurant. They were laughing and chatting with Sylvia beside them.
Stella’s earlier confusion was immediately cleared up when she saw Sylvia. Sylvia had deliberately done this to get under their skin. It wouldn’t even surprise Stella if Sylvia had bought the house across the street herself, just to stir things up.
Almost as if she felt Stella’s eyes on her, Sylvia turned and their gazes met across the room.
Sylvia pulled up a sly, provocative grin. Stella just calmly looked away, completely unfazed.
Harvey, though, gave Sylvia a nod of acknowledgment. Sylvia answered with a brief smile..
“How come you’re suddenly on such good terms with her?” Stella asked, furrowing her brow. She had noticed their interaction, and she couldn’t help but ask, “You’re not into her, are you?”
“You really let your imagination run wild,” Harvey laughed. “My eyes work just fine-like I’d ever go for someone like her.”
To be fair, Sylvia was talented and attractive, but her personality alone was enough to make her fail Richard’s test.
Hearing them talk, Richard glared at Harvey. “Listen up, kid-if you ever dare bring home a woman like her, I swear I’ll break your legs myself.”
“Seriously, Grandpa? Chill out,” Harvey sighed. “It was just a hello-you all need to relax before you work yourselves into a heart attack.”
“If you’re not into her, why’d you even say hi?” Richard pressed.
Truth was, Harvey knew that giants never toppled from the outside-they always rotted from within.
And given how solid the Lloyd Group was right now, it’d be at least a hundred years before they crumbled on their own. If he wanted cracks to show, he’d have to dig his way inside and make them himself.
But he didn’t want them fretting over his plans, so he just brushed it off. “Seriously, just let it go. I’ve got my own thing
worked out.”
With that, Harvey pinched Stella’s cheek, stretching it into a silly shape with wicked glee. “You really don’t have any faith in me, do you?”
“No way,” Stella protested, her words muffled by his hand. “I’m just being reasonably suspicious, that’s all.”
“Brat, if you don’t want your hand anymore, I’ll chop it off for you myself,” Richard snapped, shooting Harvey a glare.
Harvey quickly let go, laughing awkwardly. “Okay, okay, let’s eat. I’ve got a bunch of stuff to handle after lunch.”
“Alright then, food first,” Stella agreed casually.
“I’m so pissed just seeing them, I don’t even have an appetite anymore,” Victor spat, shooting a dirty look toward Stella’s table.
Over at the Finch family side, Victor and Wade instantly started badmouthing the Spencers as soon as they spotted them.
Sylvia listened and frowned, “Enough already. You two need to dial down the hate for the Spencers.”
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Group, and pissing her off was out of the question.
“Are you trying to get the Spencers on your side?” Wade cautiously asked Sylvia.
Sylvia nodded. “Even if the Spencers aren’t as powerful as they used to be and are facing a major transition, their network and connections are still massive.”
If she could tap into that, she’d finally be free from relying solely on Ernest.
“But,” Wade sounded doubtful. “With Stella in the picture, there’s no way you could get the Spencers on your side.”
“Uncle, come on-it’s a different era now,” Sylvia said confidently. “Harvey’s about to take over the Spencer Group, and he’s not hostile to me. Trust me, if I want him on my side, it’s only a matter of time.”
“Are you sure Harvey isn’t just putting himself on the line as part of some bigger scheme?” Wade pressed, still suspicious.
Sylvia had actually thought about that too.
“The Spencer family won’t last much longer. Without outside investment, their transition will drain all their remaining cash flow. Once the funds dry up, they’ll be done for,” she said.
Sylvia smiled confidently. “Harvey’s playing nice because he thinks one of us might bail them out. As long as that’s his angle, there’s no way he can outsmart us.”
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