CHAPTER 518: CHAPTER 518: HIDING HIS TRUE FEELINGS

The door slammed shut with a "bang," causing Stella Jennings to flinch. She had never seen Aidan Sinclair so angry before and stared at the door in a daze, feeling guilty. If she had opened the door today, Ruby Sullivan wouldn’t have stumbled upon the situation, and everything would have been as it was before.

She walked back to the living room in a despondent manner, sitting in the middle of the couch, feeling isolated as if the sofa had grown larger.

On the coffee table, Ruby Sullivan’s fried rice remained unfinished. She really shouldn’t be eating fried rice at a time like this, but somehow, with a bewildered moment, she picked it up. Taking a bite, her heart felt uneasy for reasons she couldn’t explain.

While eating, tears welled up in her eyes, but she still wanted to finish the cold rice, not wanting to squander Ruby Sullivan’s goodwill. She thought that only after filling her stomach would she have the strength to face tomorrow’s unhappiness.

*

Aidan Sinclair returned home and paced angrily in the living room.

When it came to Stella Jennings, he feared his judgment might be biased, causing her unnecessary trouble, so he was extremely cautious. After pacing for ten minutes, he called Gavin Garrison, the boss of Morningstar, whom he had once nurtured as his subordinate.

"Do you know about Crystal Pierce obstructing Stella Jennings?"

"Of course," Gavin answered nonchalantly. It’s not just because Crystal Pierce is Morningstar’s top figure; even solely based on her relationship with the boss, he couldn’t be unaware.

Gavin was remarkably astute, thinking that Aidan Sinclair wouldn’t call him late at night merely to assess his work attitude. Before Aidan could speak a second time, he continued, "Rest assured, I’ll manage this matter well and ensure Crystal Pierce is satisfied."

He then chuckled softly twice, feeling proud of being a subordinate that relieved his boss’s worries.

Aidan Sinclair’s temple throbbed, "Who’s the boss, you or Crystal Pierce? Is this how you manage Morningstar? Do you know who Stella Jennings is? She’s the new talent I’ve taken a shine to, destined to become the pillar of Morningstar, capable of overshadowing Crystal Pierce. What kind of useless resources are you giving her? I’m backing this with Stellaron Group, do you think I’m joking around with you?"

Gavin was stunned, failing to react for a long moment—is this... a breakup?

"Wi-Wilder, what’s wrong with you? Please calm down."

"Don’t try to cozy up to me, call me Mr. Sinclair!"

Gavin trembled with fear, "Mr. Sinclair..." He couldn’t grasp Aidan Sinclair’s approach; even if it truly was a breakup, it was quite tricky to manage from his end. What if they reconciled tomorrow?

Aidan took a deep breath, "I’m asking you, when did Morningstar start being all about Crystal? Would it cease to exist without her?"

Gavin was rendered speechless by the question.

Of course, it wouldn’t, but if Crystal Pierce became Mrs. Sinclair, the response might have to be slightly adjusted.

Having waited a long time, not hearing Gavin speak up, Aidan grew more irate, "Are you dead?"

"No, no, no!" Gavin was so frightened he nearly dropped his phone, "I’m alive, uh... Mr. Sinclair, could you clarify?"

"Two points. First, there’s absolutely no romantic involvement between Crystal Pierce and me, not even a shred. Second, Stella Jennings is my sister-in-law’s best friend, understand what that means?" With that, he hung up.

Aidan Sinclair hung up the phone, still feeling incredibly irritated. If he wanted to hide himself well, his only alternative was to throw Ruby Sullivan into the forefront. He knew Stella Jennings didn’t want others to believe she got signed with Morningstar because of connections, but now, if he didn’t make her backing obvious, she’d be seen as an easy target.

After pondering for a moment, he went to the bathroom to wash his face, poked his stiffened cheek in the mirror, practiced several times, and confirmed his smile looked passable and his anger mostly dissipated before turning to leave.

Stella Jennings was doing yoga in the living room.

Initially, due to feeling emotionally down, she wanted to shower and sleep early, but that bowl of rice left her deeply unsettled, as if she’d made a grave mistake, so she laid out her yoga mat and started exercising.

A sudden doorbell startled her. She thought no one would come looking for her at this hour, likely those trying to frighten her again.

"I don’t want to deal with you," she muttered, focusing on her outstretched fingertip, one leg slowly raised, bent by her hands over her head.

To her surprise, the bell rang a second time after the first, persistent enough not to stop until she answered.

Stella had never encountered such a stubborn prankster before. Slightly furrowing her brows, she warned herself not to overthink.

Soon, her phone rang, forcing her to abandon the challenging pose.

It was Aidan Sinclair.

"Uncle?" She asked cautiously, somewhat nervous.

"Open the door," Aidan Sinclair uttered helplessly.

"Oh dear." Stella realized it wasn’t some prankster at her door and hurried barefoot to the entrance, not bothering to wear slippers.

"Is something wrong?" She opened the door, seeing his sullen face, and asked quietly.

Aidan Sinclair noticed her timid appearance and realized he probably looked very stern. Raising his hand, he made an "eight" gesture and poked his cheek, forcing out a smile, "I need to talk to you."

Stella laughed out loud at his weird smile, inviting him inside amidst her laughter, "Are you trying to make people laugh?"

Seeing her amusement, Aidan’s expression naturally softened considerably, joining her in laughter.

He stood at the entrance, "I just need to say a few words to you."

Seeing him stand still at the entrance, Stella didn’t bother with pleasantries, stopping as well, "Go ahead."

"The first person wanting to sign you was Gavin, Morningstar’s main boss at the time. The training camp for the scouting show screened all the freelancers participating in the show and picked ten of the best candidates for Gavin. He selected three and brought them to me, intending to promote one. We chose you after discussion, but I didn’t agree to sign you immediately. I wanted to evaluate your audience appeal first, which, as it turned out, far exceeded our expectations. However, due to the lack of a contract, your absence of a team to manage you led to being outdone in the finals, not because you lacked talent."

Aidan Sinclair hardly ever spoke so seriously. Stella was slightly dumbfounded listening, but she understood his meaning clearly, so she nodded emphatically under his attentive gaze.

Aidan continued, "The contract offered to you is quite special, not just due to our relationship, but also because of Ruby Sullivan’s involvement. She really likes you and has repeatedly mentioned using you as a template to create new perfume. Ruby Sullivan and Nirvana’s overseas reputation don’t need me to elaborate; I’m a businessman, prioritizing business over personal ties, and Ruby Sullivan undoubtedly offers free exposure, which is your huge advantage. I believe it’s worth taking a risk for you."

Stella nodded again.

"Finally, our relationship." Aidan looked directly at her, hesitating for a moment.