My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 17: I Think Stella Sterling Has Too Much Freedom
Just thinking about it made Chase Sterling irritable.
The Isle of Lumina was only so big; how could they not find a single person!
Joel Joyce had even gone to the apartment Stella Sterling was renting the next day. Unbelievably, it was so "clean" it looked like no one had ever lived there.
And unlike back home, the surveillance systems abroad were full of blind spots.
The security footage tracked her for two blocks, and then the trail went cold.
Ethan Rhodes had called him last night, though, telling him to check the flights leaving Lumina.
So, he had checked all the flights taking off from Lumina and landing domestically. Nothing.
As for international flights, what was the difference between that and searching for a needle in a haystack?
The only silver lining was probably that Kiana’s fainting spell this time wasn’t serious.
After resting in the hospital for two days, she was now on a plane back home with Ethan Rhodes.
Chase Sterling’s expression was grim after he hung up the phone.
Madeline Jennings was right beside him and quickly asked, "What did Owen Rhodes say? Was that him in the photo?"
Chase massaged his temples, a headache forming. "Mom, why on earth would Owen Rhodes know Stella? Besides, he couldn’t care less about these trivial matters."
Trivial matters?
Madeline Jennings did not like the sound of that.
"What do you mean, ’trivial matters’? Ethan is his nephew, which makes Kiana his niece-in-law. If he doesn’t care, who will?
"And then there’s Stella Sterling. Look at her now—so selfish and rebellious. She even dared to pull a disappearing act!"
The mere mention of Stella made her furious.
When Ethan Rhodes first lost his memory and forgot all about Stella, Stella was heartbroken. Madeline could understand that.
But she threw a fit for three whole months.
You can’t force matters of the heart, can you?
And while it was a little unfair to her, Kiana Sterling was undeniably a better match for Ethan Rhodes.
Aside from her poor health, Kiana was flawless.
She was a graduate of a prestigious university with countless accolades, a generous, kind, gentle, and lovely person. On top of that, she was a rising star in the art world with remarkable achievements.
With a reputation and resume like that, she was second to none among the high-society young ladies of Jandor.
And Stella Sterling?
A complete unknown.
With such a terrible personality and temper, too.
Side by side, the difference was clear as day.
A family like the Rhodes Family needed a daughter-in-law who was presentable and second to none in every respect.
That was why Jonathan Rhodes and Yolanda Thorne had been dissatisfied with Stella from the very beginning.
In the past, Jonathan Rhodes and Yolanda Thorne had held their tongues only because their son and Stella seemed to be in a good relationship, but that didn’t mean they approved of her in their hearts.
This was obvious from the fact that in the three years they were dating, Ethan Rhodes never brought Stella to any important events.
Ethan Rhodes never took Stella out with him. On one hand, it was because Jonathan Rhodes and Yolanda Thorne forbade it. On the other hand, it was because Stella was stupid.
She was withdrawn, hypocritical, and arrogant. When Ethan didn’t take her along, she was actually happy about it.
So stupid.
Madeline had no idea what she had to be happy about.
She never understood what Ethan Rhodes could possibly have liked about a cold, heartless, and selfish person like Stella, aside from her pretty face.
But thankfully, she rarely appeared at those functions, so almost no one knew about her past with Ethan Rhodes.
And now, Kiana and Ethan were mutually in love. The parents of both families were happy to see it happen, so they hit it off and made the arrangements immediately.
The Rhodes Family found a satisfactory daughter-in-law, the Sterling Family still had their marriage alliance with the Rhodes Family secured, and everyone was happy.
’But Stella just has to make a scene!’
’And what’s this about not knowing where the marriage certificate is?’
’Hah! Impossible!’
’The old madam left it for her. She always treasures anything the old madam gives her.’
’She must still have feelings for Ethan Rhodes and has hidden it away!’
At this thought, Madeline Jennings gritted her teeth in anger.
’I absolutely cannot let Stella ruin Kiana and Ethan’s marriage!’
She instructed Chase hatefully, "I think Stella has had far too much freedom. When she comes back this time, if she doesn’t hand over that marriage certificate, she can forget about taking a single step out of this house!
"Son, Kiana and Ethan’s engagement party is right around the corner. We can’t let her pull any stunts. If she does, it won’t just be our family that loses face.
"Also, haven’t you noticed she’s been acting very strange lately? Find a psychiatrist for her one of these days. If that doesn’t work, just send her to a hospital. It’ll save us all the trouble!"
Madeline Jennings’s high, sharp voice made Chase’s headache even worse.
’Lately, not a single thing has gone right.’ a thought flashed through his mind.
He and his father, Gavin Sterling, disagreed on business philosophy.
Gavin Sterling valued traditional industries and wanted to pursue stable growth, while Chase wanted to venture into emerging sectors and take a gamble on new opportunities.
Although Gavin didn’t approve, he still gave him some authority and let him try his hand at it.
When it came to business, he had to admit that Owen Rhodes had a ruthlessly sharp eye.
Years ago, before anyone else had even reacted, Owen Rhodes had already led the Kyros Group into multiple sectors, including high-end smart technology, new energy, and digital consumption.
Looking at them now, which one of those sectors wasn’t a gold mine?
Riding that wave, the Kyros Group flourished, and the Rhodes Family’s position in Jandor became even more unshakable.
For Chase to try and enter the game now was no different from trying to take a piece of the pie from the Rhodes Family.
Initially, thanks to his connection with Ethan Rhodes, he had managed to get involved in a few good projects.
The collaborations were still under negotiation and had been going smoothly, but recently, problems had started popping up one after another.
He was swamped every day, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.
And right at this critical juncture, Ethan Rhodes had taken Kiana to Lumina.
Then Kiana fainted, Stella disappeared, Madeline Jennings was pressuring him, and Gavin Sterling was watching from the sidelines. He felt like his head was about to explode.
Madeline Jennings’s steadily rising voice made his eardrums throb.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and fobbed her off perfunctorily. "I know, Mom. I have a meeting in a bit, so I’m heading to the office."
He got up and walked toward the main door, with Madeline Jennings following him the whole way, nagging him with instructions.
"Later, remember to have someone pick up Kiana and Ethan from the airport.
"And you have to tell me the moment you have any news about Stella."
Chase kept walking, but Madeline Jennings grabbed him to stop him.
"One more thing! I’ve booked a table at Caelum Restaurant for tomorrow night. You’re going to have dinner with Zoe. You are not allowed to stand her up again this time, do you hear me!"
Chase’s face finally darkened. "Mom! I already told you I don’t like Zoe Yates! Anyway, just stay out of it for now. You should focus on arranging Kiana’s engagement party."
Ignoring whatever else Madeline Jennings said after that, Chase walked straight out the door and headed for the office.
...
Stella didn’t know when Liam Hawthorne had arrived.
After finishing breakfast, Stella Sterling walked into the living room to find Liam Hawthorne standing in front of the sofa, talking to Owen Rhodes.
Owen Rhodes was leaning back into the sofa, his suit jacket slightly open, looking every bit the business elite. His fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest, exuding an air of effortless composure.
Liam, meanwhile, was looking at a tablet. After quickly running through the schedule for the coming week, he reported on the latest work progress.
Even though his back was to her, when Stella appeared, it was as if Liam had eyes in the back of his head. He turned and greeted her.
"Good morning, Mrs. Rhodes!"
"..."
Stella still wasn’t used to that title.
But she still managed a polite smile. "Hello, Hawthorne."
Owen Rhodes glanced at her impassively, then suddenly instructed Liam, "Go wait for me outside."
Liam’s eyes darted, and with a flash of understanding, he beat a hasty retreat.
Just then, Tate came down from upstairs carrying a dark brown travel bag, which must have been Owen Rhodes’s luggage.
Owen took it and stood up.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Stella remembered what he’d said before about wanting her to be a "proper Mrs. Rhodes." After a moment’s thought, she followed him to see him out.
As Owen changed his shoes, his gaze fell on her several times. She was rolling the overly long sleeves of her pajamas into her palms, inch by inch.
He averted his gaze and reminded her again, "Remember to call me if you need anything."
Stella nodded obediently, her eyes lowered, not looking at him.
Owen watched her for a moment. "What do you want to say?"
"..."
’This is so weird. How does he always know!’
