Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 55: He’s the One Behind It? (Bonus)

"What?!"

Isla Sutton’s eyes lit up instantly as she excitedly grabbed her hand, "Really? Whose child is it? How old? What do they do? How is their character? When will you bring them home for mom to see?!" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

A barrage of questions made Stella Sterling’s scalp tingle.

She braced herself, "He... he’s really nice, treats me well... um... when the time is right, I’ll definitely bring him back for you all to see."

"Okay, okay!"

Isla Sutton couldn’t stop smiling as she gently patted Stella Sterling’s hand, "You young people take good care of each other, as long as he treats you well and sincerely cherishes you, family background is secondary! When things stabilize, you must bring him back!"

Crisis averted!

Stella Sterling secretly breathed a sigh of relief while feeling a bit worried—

Where was she going to find someone to hand over?

...

Early the next morning, Stella Sterling boarded a flight back to Riveria.

As the plane landed, the moist air of Riveria hit her face.

Without a moment’s pause, Stella Sterling dragged her suitcase straight back to the law firm.

Who would have thought that as soon as she stepped in, a shadow would come storming toward her—

"Stella Sterling! You b*tch! What did you do to Jasper to make him suddenly refuse to be my defense lawyer?!"

Her chest heaved violently, fingers almost poking Stella Sterling’s nose.

"Miss Quinn." Stella Sterling’s voice was cold, "Jasper Hawthorne is an adult, and his career choices are not for me to meddle with. As for tactics..."

She paused and smiled with a very faint curve on her lips, "Not everyone behaves like you, accustomed to shady dealings."

"You!" Grace Quinn was left speechless, her face flushed with anger, and raised her hand intending to hit.

"Grace!" Audrey Quinn quickly intervened, pulling her hand back.

She turned to Stella Sterling, her face showing a helpless yet apologetic smile, "Miss Sterling, don’t mind Grace; she’s just too anxious and speaks without thinking."

She paused, "Miss Sterling, I know Grace’s previous actions were wrong; I’ve spoiled her, and she’s been offensive. Can you... please be lenient? She’s still young and can’t be ruined like this..."

Stella Sterling coldly watched her act, her lips curving into a faint sneer.

One playing the nice role, the other the strict—this mother-daughter duo really knew how to cooperate flawlessly.

"Ms. Quinn," Stella Sterling interrupted, "Under the law, there’s no such thing as leniency. Grace knows what she did, and the evidence will speak. As for being ruined..."

She leaned forward slightly, eyes piercing, "That’s not for me to decide; it’s the result of her own choices."

Audrey Quinn’s smile froze instantly.

The hand she had on Grace’s arm tightened subtly, her nails nearly digging into her daughter’s flesh.

Grace winced in pain, glancing at her mother in discontent.

Audrey Quinn seemed oblivious, her gaze fixed on Stella Sterling as her gentle demeanor faded away, her voice lowered, "Miss Sterling, being young and assertive is admirable, but one should also understand the dynamics. Some things, if done too aggressively, benefit no one."

Her eyes narrowed, implying, "After all, there are people you cannot afford to offend, and some waters are deeper than you imagine. Why risk dragging yourself into it over a moment of pride?"

The brazen threat made Stella Sterling’s eyes turn icy.

"Ms. Quinn," Stella Sterling’s voice was not loud yet crystal clear, brimming with determination, "Are you threatening me?"

Audrey Quinn was momentarily shaken by the sharpness and coldness in her eyes, but quickly steadied herself, "I’m not threatening, merely stating a fact. Miss Sterling, you are still young, and the road ahead is long. Why invite unnecessary trouble just to prove a point? As long as you are willing to be lenient, spare Grace, we can meet any condition you demand..."

"Heh." Stella Sterling chuckled softly, "Trouble? What Stella Sterling fears least is trouble."

Her gaze swept over Grace’s livid face, finally settling on Audrey Quinn’s well-maintained face, "As for conditions? Do you think you have the qualifications or leverage to negotiate terms with me?"

She stepped forward, exuding an aura of coldness so intense that even the seasoned Audrey Quinn instinctively retreated half a step.

"Grace violated the law! She must pay the price for her actions! This cannot be erased by your light apologies and weightless threats!"

Stella Sterling’s gaze locked onto Audrey Quinn, "And you, Ms. Quinn. Failure in upbringing, indulgence, harboring, possibly even involved... Do you think you can remain unaffected?"

Audrey Quinn’s expression finally changed completely, "You... what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Whether I am spouting nonsense, you know best in your hearts." Stella Sterling stopped looking at them, "Now, please disappear from my sight immediately. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to call the police and charge you with harassment and threats."

Grace trembled in anger, still wanting to counter but was held back by Audrey Quinn.

Audrey Quinn took a deep look at Stella Sterling.

She ultimately said nothing, dragging the unwilling Grace with her as they left the law firm quickly.

Stella Sterling stood her ground, only relaxing her clenched fist once their figures had completely disappeared at the elevator, her palm moist and cold.

"Boss, are you alright?" Finn Lockwood looked at her worriedly.

"I’m fine." Stella Sterling shook her head, taking a deep breath to suppress the surging emotions, "Get all the information on William Miller and Alden the Fourth to my office."

She had no time to waste on pointless emotions now.

The enemy had already bared their fangs; she must be quicker and more precise to find their vulnerable spot.

...

In the office, the lights were bright as day.

Stella Sterling immersed herself in the mountain of documents, carefully analyzing every clue.

Finn Lockwood’s findings were extremely detailed.

William Miller, a lazy and idle person gambling addict with debts piling up.

Alden the Fourth, Audrey Quinn’s distant cousin, had been involved in petty crimes early on, later following a ’big brother’ and going through a fake clean-up by doing some transportation business, appearing legitimate while still engaging in shady dealings secretly.

The fifty-thousand-dollar transfer was like a beacon in the dark, clearly pointing the way.

But the problem was how to prove that this money ultimately came from Audrey Quinn or someone behind her?

"Boss, look here," Finn Lockwood pointed at Alden the Fourth’s recent bank transactions, "Besides that fifty thousand, he’s had several large sums deposited recently, all from different shell companies, but tracking them down eventually lead to... a subsidiary of The Donovan Group, though the connection is weak, almost washed beyond recognition."

The Donovan Group?

Stella Sterling’s heart skipped a beat.

How did The Donovan Group get involved?

She forced herself to stay calm, scrutinizing the names and structures of those subsidiaries.

Upon seeing a familiar name, her pupils contracted sharply—

Philip Donovan...

Shane Donovan’s second uncle.

The one behind it—is it him?