My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 63: This Is Another Price

"..."

He didn’t know what kind of spell Stella had cast on Owen, making him protect her like the apple of his eye.

But on second thought, Gavin Sterling figured it was probably just because Owen Rhodes was still in the thick of his infatuation.

He had already resigned himself to this defeat, but Madeline Jennings was not satisfied with Stella’s demands.

She tugged on Gavin Sterling’s sleeve, leaned in, and whispered, "How could you agree so easily! What if something happens to Kiana’s health again in the future? Stella has been so rebellious lately—even Joel Joyce has come up empty-handed a few times. If you agree to this, won’t she think she can walk all over us?"

Gavin Sterling was still fuming. He shot her a hateful glare. "Then what do you suggest I do? Give her the shares?"

Madeline Jennings knew, of course, that giving Stella the shares was impossible, but she didn’t want to lose control over her completely.

"Well, you need to think of something! In any case, you can’t just abandon Kiana!" Madeline declared, arrogant despite being in the wrong.

Gavin Sterling couldn’t lash out, so after a moment of thought, he started whispering in Madeline Jennings’s ear.

After Gavin Sterling finished speaking, the anxious look on Madeline Jennings’s face finally softened.

The couple’s actions did not escape Owen Rhodes’s notice. He watched them, his expression unreadable.

On the other end of the line, Wyatt Keating didn’t say much, only asking for the terms of the agreement. Owen Rhodes summarized Stella’s demands for him.

First, ten million in "car repair fees." Second, no other members of the Sterling family, their private employees, or any employees of the Tyford Group were to interfere with Stella’s personal freedom in any way or by any means.

Owen Rhodes had directly expanded the scope to include anyone the Sterling family could command.

Hearing it again now, Madeline Jennings’s face was quite calm.

Just then, Owen Rhodes spoke up. "Stella, your demands don’t include a breach of contract clause."

Owen Rhodes tossed out those few words in a level tone, and Madeline Jennings’s eyes instantly widened as she stared at him.

After listening to Gavin Sterling, she had been planning to exploit that very loophole, but Owen Rhodes had just blocked that path in the blink of an eye.

Owen Rhodes reached out and gently ruffled the top of Stella’s hair. "If President Sterling breaches the contract, what kind of compensation do you want?"

Gavin Sterling sighed inwardly. ’Just as I thought. Stella is easy to fool, but Owen Rhodes is not.’

Stella didn’t speak. She looked up and saw President Sterling with his eyes shut, refusing to engage; Ms. Jennings glaring daggers at her, radiating resentment; and beneath Kiana’s false mask, surprise and jealous hatred.

A smile tugged at her lips. "President Sterling, if anyone breaches the contract, I’ll take 1% of the Group’s shares. 1% each time. But I don’t want your shares, President Sterling. How about you give me Kiana’s shares instead?"

The moment Madeline Jennings and Kiana heard this, two pairs of eyes shot glares in her direction.

Madeline Jennings immediately raged, "Stella Sterling, don’t you go too far!"

Stella was unmoved. In fact, she just smiled brightly.

"Since Ms. Jennings dotes on Kiana so much, I’m sure you’re willing to pay the price for her. In that case, I won’t take Kiana’s shares. How about I take yours?"

Ms. Jennings’s eyes grew even wider.

"You—"

Stella held up a hand to cut her off. "Oh, wait, that won’t work. You’ll just accuse me of trying to drive a wedge between you. Since you two are such a loving mother-daughter pair who share everything, why don’t you each give up half? That way no one gets left out."

Stella nodded to herself with a satisfied, smug look on her face, as if to say, ’I’m such a little genius.’

Without waiting to see if they agreed, Owen Rhodes instructed Wyatt Keating, "In the event of a breach, each violation will require the transfer of 1% of Tyford Group’s shares to Stella Sterling. The transferring parties will be Ms. Madeline Jennings and Ms. Kiana Sterling, splitting the amount equally."

After hearing this, Madeline Jennings was so furious she wanted to lunge forward and pull Stella’s hair.

But Owen Rhodes stood protectively by Stella’s side, and Gavin Sterling remained silent, looking like he had no intention of getting involved. As a mere woman, she had no power to stand against Owen Rhodes. She could only grit her teeth and swallow her anger, silently blaming Stella for all of it.

After understanding the demands, Wyatt Keating said he would need twenty minutes to draft the agreement.

Once the dust settled and the call ended, a dead silence fell over the living room.

The most awkward person in the room was, without a doubt, Dr. Finch, who was trying his best to fade into the background.

’I must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving the house today,’ he thought. He was just supposed to do a job for some money, but he had been dragged into this vortex. And to make matters worse, the other party was Owen Rhodes, the one major shareholder he absolutely could not afford to offend.

He was wiping the sweat from his brow when he heard Gavin Sterling say, "Dr. Finch, I shouldn’t need to remind you, right?"

Dr. Finch nodded vigorously. "No, no, not at all. I don’t know anything. I didn’t hear a thing."

Ethan Rhodes, who had been silent until now, walked up to Owen Rhodes. "Uncle, could I have a word in private?"

Some things needed to be cleared up. Owen Rhodes didn’t delay, promptly informing Gavin Sterling, "I’m borrowing your study for a moment," before heading into the study with Ethan Rhodes.

The moment the study door clicked shut, Madeline Jennings grabbed Stella’s wrist and started dragging her upstairs. "You, come with me!"

Ms. Jennings pulled and yanked, giving Stella no chance to resist.

She had just gotten a manicure, and as she gripped Stella, her nails dug deep into her wrist, leaving several distinct marks.

Stella silently took out her phone and took a picture of Ms. Jennings’s well-manicured hand gripping her own.

The door slammed shut, and Ms. Jennings spat, "Stella Sterling, you’ve really grown some wings, haven’t you? Ganging up with an outsider to bully your own sister?"

Stella simply and calmly took another picture of the marks on her wrist with her phone.

"First, Owen Rhodes is my husband. According to the law and common decency, that makes him your son-in-law, not an outsider. Second, that wasn’t me bullying Kiana; it was me protecting myself. As long as you don’t breach the contract, the shares will remain hers. But if you do, that’s a price she should have to pay. If you think I’m in the wrong," Stella shrugged nonchalantly, "then call the police."

Madeline Jennings seethed through clenched teeth. "How did I ever give birth to such a little curse! What do you mean, ’a price she should have to pay’? In the end, if it weren’t for you all those years ago, would Kiana’s health be like this? It’s all your fault!"

Although Stella had heard these words so many times her ears were calloused, hearing them again still made her heart tremble.

She took a deep, calming breath. "Ms. Jennings, if you just came here to spout this nonsense, then save your breath. If Owen Rhodes comes back and doesn’t see me, what do you think he’ll do to you?"

Madeline Jennings had originally dismissed Stella’s words as a bluff, but Owen Rhodes’s recent actions made her uncertain.

Only then did she reveal her true purpose. "The agreement is set, so there’s no point in arguing. Since you’re married to Owen Rhodes now, you should know how many resources he has at his disposal. At the end of the day, you still have Sterling blood in you. You can’t favor an outsider over your own family. If you have any conscience left, Chase has been having some trouble with a few of his recent projects. You should ask Owen Rhodes to help him out. Chase has even lost weight recently, and he’s injured because of you. This little thing is the least you could do, right?"

’How absurd.’ Stella wanted to laugh.

"Ms. Jennings, have all those beauty treatments over the years just gone to thickening your skin? You yourself said I was a curse, so why are you still trying to get something out of me?"

Madeline Jennings realized Stella was calling her shameless, and her eyes widened again in anger.

"It’s not impossible for me to ask Owen Rhodes," Stella said. "But that’ll cost you extra."