My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 145: I Will Hold You Accountable

Stella Sterling’s heart sank.

If Kiana Sterling hadn’t mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about the marriage contract.

It was strange, really. Something so important—how could it have just vanished into thin air?

At first, she thought she must have lost it somewhere in the Sterling family home.

But she had gone back and searched every nook and cranny, and it was nowhere to be found.

Later, she suspected it might have been tucked away inside the letters she and Ethan Rhodes had exchanged over the years.

But she had brought those letters back with her. She and Owen Rhodes had even opened every single one to check, and it wasn’t there.

After she and Owen Rhodes had gone through them, she hadn’t made a point of keeping the letters.

Owen Rhodes said he would take care of it, so Stella Sterling had trustingly left it to him.

So, she had no idea what he ended up doing with them.

She had also wondered if the marriage contract had been left at her grandmother’s house.

But then she reconsidered. During the time she was in Lumina, the Sterlings had surely turned over every possible stone.

The very reason they had been so frantic on the phone, asking her where the marriage contract was, must have been because they couldn’t find it.

She thought the marriage contract was destined to remain lost forever.

’How did it suddenly turn up?’

Stella Sterling watched Kiana Sterling with suspicion.

Kiana Sterling looked completely unfazed, even offering a gentle smile as she asked, "Aren’t you going to invite us in to sit down?"

Despite her outward composure, Stella Sterling was still worried.

If Kiana Sterling really had the marriage contract, it would be one thing if she only used it against her.

But if Kiana Sterling also used it against Owen Rhodes, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Stella Sterling let out an annoyed laugh. "You’ve got some nerve. Sit or don’t. I don’t care."

’How ridiculous. They show up uninvited and still expect me to invite them in.’

’Who spoiled her into acting so entitled?’

Stella Sterling didn’t continue the standoff at the door, nor did she invite them in. She simply walked back into the living room and turned to ask Tate to refill her fruit bowl.

Seeing that Stella Sterling didn’t stop them, Mr. Joel politely guided the group into the living room.

Then, he immediately turned away to call Owen Rhodes.

Tate had heard the commotion earlier and politely came over with freshly brewed tea.

Stella Sterling had a white bone china fruit bowl, and when Tate brought the tea, she also brought the bowl over, refilled with fruit.

On the coffee table, besides the tea, there was a snack basket.

Now that Ethan Rhodes’s memory had returned, he could tell at a glance that the basket was filled with all of Stella Sterling’s favorite snacks.

Perhaps noticing Ethan Rhodes’s gaze linger on the snack basket, Stella Sterling got up and put the basket away in a nearby cabinet.

She looked like she was guarding her food.

Ethan Rhodes: "..."

He had no intention of fighting her for it...

Stella Sterling kept her distance, sitting cross-legged in an armchair at the other end of the room.

"Didn’t you say you had something to discuss with me? Out with it."

Chase Sterling, in the end, refused to give up. He was still determined to use the Innovire project to gain more say in his own family’s company.

Gavin Sterling was no longer as supportive of him as before.

He couldn’t afford the manpower or financial resources to start a new project from scratch.

Of course, he had stubbornly tried to explore other options.

But the results of his attempts were not promising.

They say experience is the best teacher.

Ever since Owen Rhodes had laid things bare, Chase Sterling knew that Owen was likely the one pulling the strings behind his inability to secure any other projects.

No matter how furious he was, it was useless.

Because in Jandor, Owen Rhodes had the power to blot out the sky with a single hand.

With all other avenues blocked, his only option was to try to get through to Stella Sterling.

After the huge fiasco with Felix Hollis, Chase Sterling knew that unless he offered a sincere apology, Stella Sterling would never forgive him.

But with Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes sitting right there, he couldn’t bring himself to swallow his pride and apologize in front of outsiders.

Chase Sterling paused, then said, "Stella, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Stella Sterling was not about to agree.

"What’s the matter? Is there something Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes can’t hear?" She speared a piece of melon with her fork, popped it into her mouth, and swallowed slowly before continuing, "Aren’t you all one big happy family? No need to be strangers."

Stella Sterling had a good idea of what Chase Sterling was after.

It was undoubtedly about the project Owen Rhodes had mentioned; he wanted to use her to create an opening.

But back then, when he tried to force her to apologize and offer a toast to Felix Hollis in front of all those people, both acquaintances and strangers, all over some baseless accusation, he hadn’t shown any mercy.

’And now he can’t take it with just Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes here?’

Stella Sterling continued to happily eat her fruit, neither rushing him nor saying another word.

Chase Sterling couldn’t outwait her. After a long moment, he could only start speaking, albeit reluctantly.

"Stella, what happened before... I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me anymore, okay? Look, I broke my arm because of you, but I don’t blame you at all. Can’t you try to see things from my perspective?"

Stella Sterling sneered internally, and her words came out just as cold.

"You’re right, you didn’t blame me for your broken arm. You just came here to guilt-trip me instead. Young President Sterling, let’s get a few things straight. Your father was the one who hit you. Kiana Sterling was the one who caused that whole scene. I was just defending myself. The only reason you’re here begging for my forgiveness is because you’re forced to bow your head to Owen Rhodes. If it weren’t for him, would you feel even the slightest bit sorry?"

Chase Sterling didn’t say it out loud, but he knew in his heart that the answer was no.

After all, in his eyes, Stella Sterling had brought it all upon herself.

Even now, he still believed that if Stella Sterling had just been willing to compromise back then, things wouldn’t have escalated the way they did.

So, it was still Stella Sterling’s fault.

Chase Sterling fell silent.

Stella Sterling ignored him, turning her gaze to Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes.

"What about you two? What do you want?"

Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes exchanged a look, and then Kiana said, "Stella, we found the marriage contract between you and Ethan."

Stella Sterling’s expression was placid. "Oh."

"..." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Her reaction was so calm that for a moment, Kiana Sterling couldn’t figure out what she was thinking.

Kiana Sterling gave Ethan Rhodes a look, and he ushered a sullen-faced Chase Sterling away.

With only Kiana and Stella Sterling left in the living room, Kiana finally dropped her fake, gentle smile and decided to speak frankly.

"I heard you did a crossover collaboration with Zion Shawcross, drawing his new album cover?"

Stella Sterling’s hand paused for a fraction of a second before she resumed her previous action, as if she didn’t care.

"Don’t forget what you promised back then."

Hearing this, Stella Sterling suddenly tossed her fruit fork onto the table.

"I actually have forgotten. Why don’t you refresh my memory?"

But Kiana Sterling just sighed. "Stella, you can’t keep fighting with the family like this. You know Mom, Dad, and Chase used to adore you. Why would they suddenly stop liking you? If you keep acting out like this... you know that after being hurt time and time again, it’s very hard to repair a relationship."

Stella Sterling, of course, knew that.

That’s why she had given up on repairing it long ago.

’Whoever wants to fix it can be my guest.’

Stella Sterling didn’t take the bait. She only asked, "So? What’s the point of you coming all this way to remind me of this today?"

Kiana Sterling smiled. "Stella, I know you’re Umi. Be a good girl and stop making public appearances. Otherwise... well, you know, Owen Rhodes has so many enemies. What if someone found some leverage to use against him..."

She was using the marriage contract to threaten her.

Stella Sterling laughed. "If someone does find some leverage, don’t worry. I’ll be sure to put the blame squarely on your head. You can count on it."