My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 22: I Can Go on a Rampage Now

When Liam Hawthorne heard Stella Sterling say she was going to the Sterling Family estate, his first instinct was to refuse.

But she looked completely set on it, so all Liam Hawthorne could do was say, "Alright."

He immediately sent a text to Owen Rhodes: [President Rhodes, Ms. Sterling says she’s going to the Sterling estate.]

After a moment, Owen Rhodes replied: [Okay.]

Liam Hawthorne: ’??? Just "Okay."?’ 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

’What does "Okay" even mean?’

’Does that mean I should go with her?’

’And when we get there, do I just throw Owen Rhodes’s name around, or should I be more subtle?’

Stella Sterling was oblivious to the soap opera unfolding in Liam Hawthorne’s mind. Her own thoughts were simple and direct—strike first.

Her original plan had been to lie low for a few more peaceful days, then crash Kiana Sterling’s engagement party and give the Sterlings a nasty surprise.

But her luck had been terrible. The moment she stepped out, she’d run into Kiana Sterling and Ethan Rhodes.

Now, the news of her return to Jandor was bound to get out.

Rather than wait around and have to see Joel Joyce’s detestable face again, she decided she might as well head back to the Sterling estate to find her "things" before the rest of the family had time to react.

Always strike when your opponent least expects it. That was something Owen Rhodes had taught her.

Besides, Ethan Rhodes had a point. Since they were broken up, it really was time to clear out the "relics of their relationship."

Back when Stella Sterling still had feelings for him, she couldn’t even think of touching the gifts Ethan Rhodes had given her.

She had even imagined that, despite the breakup, these items would one day serve as fond memories. Or, if she ever felt she couldn’t go on, they might offer some comfort.

But now, the thought of them was like a bone stuck in her throat.

’So this is how easily affection can be eroded.’

Her personality dictated that the best way to handle these things was to burn them all to ash.

But Ethan Rhodes’s little stunt in Lumina had taught her a new lesson.

She would pack everything up, bring it all to the engagement party, and throw it in Ethan Rhodes and Kiana Sterling’s faces.

And not only would she throw it all in their faces, she would make Ethan Rhodes congratulate her and Owen Rhodes with his own mouth.

That way, the bastard couldn’t turn around and bite her if his memory ever came back.

And if the engagement party was thrown into utter chaos and they became a public laughingstock? Well, they couldn’t blame her for that.

After all, the pressure from Ms. Jennings and Chase Sterling was just too much for her to bear.

Just imagining the looks on their faces made Stella Sterling’s mood soar.

So much so that the unpleasantness from the jewelry store vanished without a trace.

Just then, her phone chimed softly.

Ariana Grant: [Hey Stella, I sent your new contact info to your assistant. He said he needs to talk to you about something urgent.]

Just as she finished reading the message, a friend request popped up.

Her new account only had a few contacts so far: Owen Rhodes, Ariana Grant, Mr. Joel, Tate, and Liam Hawthorne. She’d completely forgotten about her assistant, Ken.

When she had a pile of finished paintings, she would occasionally pick a few at random to send to galleries or enter into competitions.

She’d been lucky; the few pieces she had put up for sale had all sold for a good price, so her bank balance was quite healthy.

Later, private commissions started trickling in as well.

But between dealing with the Sterlings and painting, she found herself stretched too thin. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. So, she hired an assistant.

She met Ken when she was sketching in Aeridor.

He was a young art student, but unfortunately, his heart wasn’t in creating art himself. He was determined to be the man behind a successful artist—an agent.

After a bit of back and forth, Stella Sterling took him on as a temporary assistant.

Ken truly had a knack for being an agent. Whenever she handed over her art, he handled everything meticulously.

He was as skilled at marketing as he was at sweet-talking. Since he’d become her assistant, Stella Sterling had been landing commissions from one dream client after another—the kind with few demands and deep pockets.

She had changed her phone number and contact info recently and hadn’t logged into her email, so Ken must have been unable to reach her and gone to Ariana Grant for help.

She quickly accepted Ken’s friend request.

Before she even had a chance to say hello, Ken’s messages came flooding in.

[BOSS!!! ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!!!]

[BLINK IF YOU’VE BEEN KIDNAPPED!!!]

[I WENT TO YOUR APARTMENT! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU MOVED!!!]

[DO YOU STILL WANT THE PAINTINGS YOU HAVE AT THE GALLERY!!!]

[IF NOT, CAN THE MONEY FROM SELLING THEM BE MY RETIREMENT FUND?!!]

The strings of exclamation points were making Stella Sterling’s eyes hurt.

She just called him directly through the app.

Ken answered instantly. "Boss!!!"

"Yes," Stella Sterling cut in, "I’m alive and well. Now, what’s so urgent? Spit it out."

Ken sighed, a little disappointed, before blurting out, "Boss, you remember that painting I submitted to the Jason Will Painting Prize?! That one! It! It won!!!"

Ken’s overly dramatic tone made Stella Sterling momentarily question if he was telling the truth.

She asked automatically, "What did you say?"

"Your painting! *Tidal Reverse Flow*! The Jason Will Painting Prize! You won!!! You’re a finalist! I put down your info for the prize money, so it’ll get deposited directly into your account. The piece is going to be exhibited at the Voss Art Gallery, and they’ll be making a catalog, but I need you to sign some authorization forms..."

Ken spoke in a rapid-fire, dense torrent of words, making Stella Sterling’s head BUZZ.

The Jason Will Painting Prize was one of the most prestigious awards in the art world. It focused exclusively on painting and was renowned for its unique anonymous judging system and its reputation for discovering new stars.

The artists’ identities were kept completely anonymous throughout the judging process and were only revealed after the final decisions had been made.

The awards consist of one first prize and four finalist prizes. The winning works will be exhibited for several months at the world-renowned Voss Art Gallery.

The Jason Will Painting Prize offered its winners not just a hefty sum of prize money, but also an invaluable opportunity for career advancement.

And Stella Sterling... had won.

By the time she finished processing the massive amount of information Ken had just thrown at her and sorted out what materials she needed to submit to the organizers, Liam Hawthorne’s car had pulled up to the gate of the Sterling estate.

Stella Sterling was a little dazed by the surprise.

When Ken had told her he was submitting her painting, she had scoffed, "If you’ve got that much time on your hands, you’d be better off helping me sell a couple more pieces. That way, you’d get a raise, and I wouldn’t have to embarrass myself."

What she hadn’t known at the time was that the Jason Will Painting Prize required physical works to be mailed in for review, meaning her painting was already one of only sixty masterpieces selected from thousands of submissions.

Liam Hawthorne glanced back. Seeing her staring blankly, he couldn’t help but worry. "Ma’am, if you don’t want to go in, you don’t have to force it."

Stella Sterling snapped out of it. "No, I want to."

She was feeling a little full of herself. "I think I could take on the world right now."