Chapter 270 Chips and Conversation
Bella had been by Sterling's side for so long that she had adopted his calm demeanor, never letting external matters affect her.
When faced with Derek's sarcasm, she simply smiled—a smile that carried traces of Sterling's own, both contemptuous and dismissive.
"I get it. Sterling scared you before, even got you locked up. You must be boiling with anger and feeling helpless. But you can't touch him, so you come at me to feel better, right?"
Bella's words were calm yet powerful, each one hitting Derek's sore spots with precision.
"But if you came here just to throw shade, then it's pointless. I won't get mad because of your words; they mean nothing to me."
As she spoke, Bella walked into the gazebo, taking in the surroundings.
The garden at night was bathed in a soft glow from the lanterns along the corridor, while the rest of the area was enveloped in deep, tranquil darkness, as if time itself had paused.
Earlier in the evening, the garden had been brightly lit, casting a poetic and picturesque ambiance over the flowers, trees, and plants.
However, as the night progressed to 2 AM, everything took on a different appearance.
The light had become dim and shadowy, almost swallowed by the night.
The once vibrant flowers and trees now twisted into eerie shapes under the faint glow, their intertwined branches exuding an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Bella and Anna exchanged a glance, a chill running through them.
They couldn't help but recall Colin's joke about "wandering spirits," and in the deep night, the garden indeed seemed to have that eerie quality.
They looked at each other again, reading fear and unease in each other's eyes.
"Don't you want to know about your father?" Derek said sinisterly.
Before Bella could respond, Anna glared at Derek, "What do you know? Just spill it. Stop playing games in the middle of the night; we don't have time for this."
Derek sneered, "If you want to know about your father, I can tell you, but..."
"Just state your conditions directly," Bella said, not wanting to beat around the bush.
She knew Derek had called her here to negotiate, and she was curious about his true intentions.
Was it about her or Sterling?
"Straightforward, just like Sterling's wife. You do have some of his traits. Fine, I won't beat around the bush either. If you take Sterling back to Harborvale and never return to Oakridge, I can tell you about your father's plane crash."
Bella looked at him, "That simple? Just take Sterling back to Harborvale? Why?"
Derek stepped forward, his tone chilling, "You don't need to know why. Just take him back to Harborvale and help me get into the Windsor family."
Bella laughed, "Aren't you already in the Windsor Villa? What do you mean by 'get into'?"
Derek laughed abruptly, "Being in the Windsor Villa is useless. I want to be in the Windsor family registry."
Bella's mind raced. So, Derek's plan was to re-enter the Windsor family, from which he had been expelled years ago. But that wouldn't be easy.
Sure enough, Derek continued, "To get into the Windsor family, the head of the family has to order it. If you can convince Sterling, I'll tell you everything."
Bella didn't even glance at Derek and said to Anna, "Anna, let's go."
Anna was puzzled, "Aren't you going to find out?"
Bella replied indifferently, "It's not that important. Let's go."
Anna didn't understand why Bella suddenly didn't want to listen, but she followed Bella's lead.
Derek roared from behind, "Don't you really want to know? Remember, I'm the only one who knows this now. Xu is dead. Do you want this secret to be buried forever?"
Bella turned to look at Derek's twisted face, "I never believe a gambler's words. Everyone in the Windsor family knows what kind of person you are. If you think you can manipulate me with my father's matter, you're mistaken. Sterling's decisions are final. Even his parents couldn't persuade him, so you found the wrong person. If you want to tell me, I'll respectfully call you uncle. If not, I'm sorry, I can't help you."
With that, Bella turned and walked away.
Derek watched her, his eyes flashing with malice. He hadn't expected Bella to adopt Sterling's ruthlessness so well, her aura almost matching his.
Outside the gazebo, rain began to fall, droplets hitting the broad banana leaves.
Derek spoke again, "Fine, I'll tell you. Your father's crash involved someone from the Windsor family, someone you wouldn't expect."
Bella stopped and turned to him, "Who?"
Derek stepped out of the gazebo, "My condition remains the same."
Bella said, "Then there's nothing to discuss."
Derek hadn't anticipated Bella's stubbornness. He had underestimated her.
In the rainy night, Bella's words seemed to carry a chill, "Derek, I can agree to take Sterling back to Harborvale, but I can't fulfill your second condition."
The night wind blew the rain onto their skin, seeping into their bones.
Bella continued, "If you want to tell me, go ahead. If not, let's pretend we never met tonight."
Bella considered that Sterling was investigating the Windsor family's involvement in drug trafficking.
She stared at Derek for a while, wondering if she should use this opportunity to get information from him.
But Derek seemed highly vigilant. She thought for a moment and then pulled Anna back into the gazebo.
"So, you're willing to talk now?" Derek also turned back into the gazebo.
Bella smiled, "I'm curious. Weren't you imprisoned before? How did you get out so quickly and manage so well? What did Sterling do to make Tobias and Blair accept you? With such connections, why are you still fixated on entering the Windsor family registry?"
Derek, being a boastful person, felt his confidence swell with Bella's words. He smiled meaningfully, "Well, it's a lucrative, risk-free investment. Are you interested?"
Bella feigned confusion, "What kind of investment is risk-free? Gold or real estate? If you can expand the business, I think Sterling wouldn't oppose you entering the Windsor family. But any investment carries risks, right?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
