Chapter 77
Harvey’s words made the dinner table fall silent again.
Stella stared at Harvey, deeply impressed by his nerve. She could practically feel the fury radiating from Evelyn. It was obvious Evelyn wasn’t about to let Harvey off the hook.
“Marvin, hold Harvey down!” Evelyn snapped.
Marvin was on his feet instantly. Richard rose right after him and chimed in, “I’ll help too.”
“Mom, I’m already grown up…” Harvey protested, but before he could finish, he was tackled to the floor.
Evelyn grinned wickedly as she walked over, smacking him while giving him a lesson. “My boy, to have a wife cheat on you, you’d actually need to have a wife first.”
“Okay, okay, Mom! You’re totally right, just let me go,” Harvey begged.
“No way. I’ll make sure this lesson sticks with you,” Evelyn said cheerfully.
Then came the merciless mom–style smackdown–Harvey’s dramatic whines mixed perfectly with the delicious food on the table. Honestly, nothing spiced up dinner like some family chaos.
Stella was enjoying herself so much that she ate a great deal more. She failed to notice the fact that everyone, including Harvey, was smiling. The whole family was simply happy because she was.
Even though pushing for marriage and kids was a norm, the Spencer family was pretty relaxed about it. They never pressured Harvey to marry a specific type of woman or set a deadline for it.
Once someone was old enough to talk about marriage, they were an adult, and adults were expected to have their own opinions and plans. Love, marriage–all of it–everyone had their own timeline and their own
worries.
It wasn’t as if getting married solved everything. Times had changed, and so had the problems people faced.
Years ago, when Stella got caught in that mysterious accident, it had been enough to break their hearts. They really couldn’t handle going through something like that again.
When everyone saw Stella finally crack a rare smile, the whole family eased up and quietly went back to enjoying their meal.
After dinner, Stella was about to head home, but Evelyn stopped her. “Nope, you’re staying here tonight. Harvey told me about some jewelry expo you’re going to. If I let you go home, you’ll just work yourself to
death.”
Stella knew better than to argue, so she agreed. “Alright, Aunt Evelyn, I’ll stay tonight.”
“Your room’s been tidied daily, the bedding’s fresh. If you need anything, just let me know,” Evelyn said, waving her hand. “Go wash up and get some rest.”
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Chapter 77
“Okay,” Stella nodded, just about to leave when a knock sounded at the door.
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“Aunt Evelyn, I’ll get it,” Stella said as she hurried to the door. But as soon as she opened it, her smile vanished. “What are you doing here?” she asked coldly.
Wade stood outside, grinning and holding something in his hand. “I’m here to apologize.”
He knew the Spencer family was important to Sylvia, so he couldn’t just drop what happened earlier. He had to smooth things over between the two families.
Stella didn’t have to read his mind to know he was up to no good. Her face turned icy. “No need. Everything was settled in the mediation room today. You can leave now.”
She was about to close the door when Wade stuck his foot in the gap and smiled, trying to plead. “Stella, I get you’re not exactly happy to see me, but I swear I only came to apologize. Come on, at least…”
“Who’s that?” After not seeing Stella return for a while, Evelyn finally came out of the dining room. Seeing a strange man trying to force his way in, Evelyn grabbed Stella protectively. “Marvin! Get down here! We’ve got a thief!”
Wade wanted to explain himself but was slammed to the ground by Harvey, Marvin, and Richard, his face smashing against the floor with a loud thud. He couldn’t even get a word out because of the pain.
It wasn’t until they had him pinned that they finally realized who he was.
Richard’s anger exploded. “So you mouthed off to my granddaughter this morning and now you’re trying to break into our house? Do you really think you can mess with the Spencer family?”
Marvin, who rarely lost his temper, was furious. “Call the police! This isn’t over.”
Marvin couldn’t even imagine what would’ve happened if he and Harvey hadn’t been there. With only the women and Richard at home, they would have been helpless if some creep had forced his way in.
Meanwhile, Wade wanted to argue his innocence, but his teeth had hit the stone floor. Blood filled his mouth, and his lips were so raw he could barely open his mouth to speak. Eventually, the police arrived and took him
away.
“Harvey, what’s so funny?” Stella shot him a confused look. “And seriously, Wade just came over to apologize and bring a gift. Why didn’t you let me explain?”
Stella wanted to clear things up when the cops showed up, not because she cared about Wade, but because she hated wasting police time on silly misunderstandings. But Harvey stopped her.
“Just wait,” Harvey said, a playful smirk creeping over his lips. “She’ll be calling me any minute now.”
“Who do you mean?” Stella blinked, still puzzled.
Before Harvey could reply, his phone rang. The name on the caller ID caught Stella’s eye.
“Ms. Jansen?” Stella frowned, confused. But she stayed quiet, just listening.
17:20 Tue, Oct 14
Chapter 77
“Ms. Jansen.” Harvey greeted, his tone calm and gentle. “What’s up? It’s pretty late for a call”
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On the other end, Sylvia’s voice was mixed with the sound of water, like she was in the shower. “We’re all smart people here. No need to dance around. I can pull together outside investments from several companies for your family.”
“Nice and direct,” Harvey said with a raised eyebrow. “What’s the catch?”
“Your family has to sever all ties with Stella,” Sylvia replied coldly. “That’s how you’ll show me you’re serious.” Content originally comes from (.)net
Neither Stella nor Harvey reacted to the request. Stella knew the Spencer family would never turn their back on her. Years of love and care had built a strong bond, and nothing could shake it.
Harvey shot down the idea without missing a beat. “Try a different condition.”
“Really? She’s honestly that important to you guys?” Sylvia asked, sounding totally incredulous.
“Come on, you know my parents are crazy about her–even if I wanted to, it’s not up to me,” Harvey said, a little helpless but unwavering.
As he spoke, Harvey shot Stella a playful wink. She smiled, still not sure what he was up to, but she trusted him completely.
“And what about you personally?” Sylvia pressed.
Harvey just shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with it,” he replied, sounding totally unfazed.
“That’s all I needed to hear. Just wait, it won’t be long,” Sylvia said confidently. Before hanging up, she added, “Tonight was just a misunderstanding. Wade went to your place to apologize.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out,” Harvey said.
“Alright,” Stella replied.
Just as they were about to end the call, a familiar voice cut in. “Who’s calling you at this hour?” the man asked, sounding a little suspicious.
Stella’s heart skipped a beat. After all these years, Stella recognized Ernest’s voice instantly.
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