After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 156: Starting with Stella Thorne

Silas Rowan finally got his emotions under control and stopped laughing.

He said with a serious expression, "It’s nothing, really. You might not find it as funny as I did."

He knew Adrian Sutton was inwardly fuming.

But of course, Adrian wouldn’t direct his anger at Claire Mercer.

’So in the end, won’t I be the one to suffer?’

’Every time I think about how I always lose to this cousin who’s only a few days older than me...’

Silas suddenly felt that what they had just been gossiping about wasn’t so funny after all.

To avoid being the target of misplaced anger,

he decided to say a few nice things about the mysterious mogul.

"Actually, I’ve had the good fortune of meeting the mysterious mogul who founded CZ Group a few times."

Roxanne Peyton’s eyes widened. "Huh? Really?"

’They’d just spent all this time gossiping right in front of him.’

’And it turns out Silas actually knows the guy?’ 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Silas nodded seriously. "Really."

Roxanne pressed, "So is he really ugly? And sick, like the rumors say?"

"He’s not sick at all, and he doesn’t have dwarfism." Silas, his survival instinct kicking into high gear, immediately started singing the man’s praises right in front of him. "He’s not just not ugly—he’s tall and incredibly handsome."

"In my opinion, August Thorne and the FS Boy Band don’t even compare to him."

Now, even Claire Mercer was surprised.

"Really? Silas, don’t you think you’re exaggerating a little?"

Roxanne was highly skeptical. "August Thorne and the FS Boy Band are considered some of the most handsome faces in the entertainment industry."

"And they don’t even compare to that mogul? I find that so hard to believe."

Stella Thorne chimed in. "Yeah, if he’s so handsome, why doesn’t he show his face? He just lets the public speculate wildly about his appearance."

Silas scrambled to come up with a reason that sounded somewhat plausible.

"Maybe it’s because he’s too handsome," he said. "Sometimes, being that good-looking can be a real burden."

"Just think about it. Once those women with ulterior motives find out that the nation’s top billionaire mogul is actually a young, handsome stud, can you imagine how they’d throw themselves at him one after another?"

"Some women, for money, status, and power... even if the guy is a greasy old man with a beer belly and a receding hairline, they’ll still throw themselves at him."

"This mogul isn’t just rich and powerful, he’s also young and handsome... Wouldn’t those women try every trick in the book to get him? Throw themselves at him relentlessly?"

Hearing this, it made some sense to Claire Mercer.

’Besides, this was coming from Silas.’

’If anyone else had said it, she probably wouldn’t have believed a word.’

’But since it was Silas saying it, there was a good chance it was true.’

"So, according to you, he doesn’t actually have many women around him?"

"None," Silas said. "I heard he already has a wife. And he was secretly in love with her for ten whole years before they finally got married a while ago."

At his words, Roxanne Peyton couldn’t help but gasp.

"Oh my god, a top billionaire mogul who’s into the whole ’deep, secret love’ aesthetic... That sounds so romantic."

"To be secretly loved for ten years by a man who’s handsome, rich, and powerful... his wife must be incredible."

Claire Mercer nodded. "I’m getting curious myself. What kind of woman could make a top mogul love her in secret for ten years?"

Both Adrian Sutton and Silas Rowan resisted the urge to say:

’It’s you!’

They shared a look, then tacitly averted their gazes.

"But based on what Silas said, it was a little rude of us to gossip about him like that."

’He wasn’t ugly—he was handsome. And he didn’t have random women hanging around him. In fact, he’d been deeply in love with his wife for ten years. It sounded like this mogul was completely different from what she’d imagined.’

’To think they’d just been gossiping about a man like that so callously.’

’It wasn’t just them, either. The whole world was spreading rumors.’

She suddenly felt a little sorry for him.

"We didn’t mean any harm, though. We just heard the rumors and couldn’t help speculating."

"Next time you see him, please don’t tell him we were gossiping about him."

Silas stifled a laugh. "Of course I won’t tell him."

’The man himself is right here and heard the entire thing from start to finish.’

’Why would I bother repeating it all over again?’

’I’d just be the one to suffer for it.’

’Forget it. I’ve already paid the price too many times.’

’It’s time I learned my lesson.’

*

The opening ceremony was incredibly grand.

Not only were there A-list celebrities performing,

and international supermodels walking the runway,

but several senior titans of the design world were also in attendance to show their support.

Claire Mercer couldn’t help but marvel once again at CZ Group’s immense financial power.

Setting aside the pop idols,

just getting those international supermodels and design titans to attend would have been a monumental task.

This just went to show that CZ Group wasn’t only wealthy,

but its network across all industries was also rock-solid.

After the FN Boy Band kicked things off with several high-energy song-and-dance numbers,

the entire venue erupted.

Because the competition was being broadcast live exclusively worldwide on Lynx Television,

the host for the event was none other than Lynx Television’s star anchor.

He had hosted countless competitions and galas, making him a household name and a top figure in the world of broadcasting.

"Welcome, everyone, for tuning in to Lynx TV! I’m your host, Sean Grant..."

"Tonight will be the ultimate visual and fashion spectacle."

"And now, let’s welcome international supermodel Megan Lawton, leading the top ten contestants from the Norcaster Division as they present a spectacular opening show!"

Six international supermodels took the stage in turn, each leading the ten finalists from one of the six competition divisions.

The outfits for the opening show were all custom-designed by the models’ respective designers.

Claire Mercer had tailored a traditional Chinese-style qipao for Stella Thorne.

After Stella changed in the dressing room, Claire styled her hair into a low bun.

She inserted a jade-green hairpin into the bun for decoration.

Paired with subtle yet exquisite makeup,

Stella Thorne’s entire look was completely transformed.

She exuded an air of poised elegance, combined with a gentle, intellectual beauty.

Backstage, Claire gave Stella’s outfit, hair, and makeup one final check.

Only after making sure everything was perfect did she smile with satisfaction.

"Stella, you’re going to dazzle everyone out there."

Stella Thorne snapped a few more selfies, a smile revealing her dimples.

"Are you complimenting your own beautiful design, or are you complimenting me?"

Claire Mercer laughed unabashedly. "Both, of course..."

Lily Dalton, who was also waiting nearby, couldn’t help but roll her eyes and purse her lips.

Meanwhile, Scarlett Jewel, who was standing beside her, felt her eyes burn red with jealousy as she saw the qipao Claire Mercer had designed...

and the stunning effect it had on Stella Thorne after she put it on...

Her eyes turned scarlet with jealousy.

’That qipao looked simple, but it was full of clever little tricks.’

’Plus, that woman, Stella Thorne, had a killer body and a sweet, delicate face.’

’Her performance on the runway was also getting more and more polished and poised.’

’It was as if she was born for the catwalk.’

’One so talented at design, the other with such a strong stage presence...’

’Against such a powerful duo, how could she possibly beat Claire Mercer?’

’Now, her only hope was that the Mercer Family would make their move—and fast.’

’They had to stop Claire Mercer from reaching the finals.’

’But it didn’t matter.’

’If the Mercer Family proved useless and couldn’t eliminate Claire Mercer...’

’...then she could always go after Stella Thorne.’

’After all, the designer and model were a team in this competition.’

’Even if Claire Mercer’s designs were breathtaking...’

’...without an excellent model to showcase them, she, the designer, still wouldn’t place well.’

’That Claire Mercer had the Rowan Family backing her now.’

’That made it difficult to deal with Claire directly.’

’Besides, she had to consider the Rowan Family’s influence.’

’If she failed and the Rowans found out, her career in Rhonia would be over.’

’But Stella Thorne’s family was a minor rich family at best, nothing compared to the power of the Rowans.’

’Going after her would be easier, and she didn’t have any powerful backing.’

’So, it didn’t matter if she couldn’t get rid of Claire Mercer. There was still Stella Thorne, right?’

At this thought, Scarlett Jewel felt her confidence surge.