Chapter 558 It Seems I Have No Choice
"Please, Mr. Smith, just this once, help us out!"
Seb's face stayed unreadable as he looked at the desperate faces in front of him. "I can help, but what's in it for me?"
He wasn't a charity, and considering these folks had double-crossed Silvercrest Group before, he wasn't about to let them off the hook easily.
"Mr. Smith, anything you want, as long as it's within our power, we'll do it!"
The others quickly chimed in. Their company was on the edge of bankruptcy; they'd do anything to save it.
Seb nodded. "Alright, here's the deal: you help me take down Jesse."
The group collectively sighed in relief, some even looking a bit stunned. Was that all Seb wanted?
Even if Seb hadn't asked them to join him against Jesse, they would have done so once their company's crisis was averted. Jesse had deceived them, and they couldn't let that slide.
"Mr. Smith, is that really all you want?"
Seb looked at the speaker. "Yes, but let me be clear: I don't give second chances. If you betray me again, I guarantee your company will be bankrupt within three days."
The group's expressions shifted. Seb had acquired their main partner company, meaning their fates were now in his hands. If he wanted their companies to go under, it would be a piece of cake.
"Mr. Smith, you can count on us. We'll stand with you against Jesse."
"Absolutely, Jesse has caused us so much trouble. We won't let him get away with it!"
"As long as the company survives, I'll do whatever Mr. Smith says."
Seb nodded. "I hope you remember what you've said today."
Two hours later, the group left with smiles, clutching their newly signed contracts. Although the new deal meant a significant loss in profits, saving the company was all that mattered.
Paul organized the contracts and filed them away. He knocked and entered Seb's office.
"Mr. Smith, should we stop monitoring those people?"
"No, keep an eye on them. Signing a contract isn't enough. Some of them might still secretly deal with Jesse."
"Got it."
"Alright, get back to work."
At 1:50 PM, Sharon's car pulled up to the restaurant they had agreed on. As she stepped out, Alton, sitting by the window, turned to Carolyn.
"Aunt Carolyn, that's Sharon. Doesn't she look a lot like you when you were younger?"
Alton had seen photos of Carolyn in her youth, and Sharon bore a striking resemblance.
Among Carolyn's three children, Sharon looked the most like her.
"Yeah." Carolyn nodded coolly, her eyes devoid of emotion. To her, Sharon's resemblance was irrelevant. What mattered was that Sharon needed to return to Stellaria with her.
"I talked to my dad the other day. He said Sharon's personality is almost identical to yours when you were young. You really are mother and daughter."
Carolyn turned to him, her voice icy. "Alton, if you're trying to make me feel more maternal before meeting her, you can stop now."
"Aunt Carolyn, I just hope your meeting won't be too tense."
Carolyn's face remained expressionless. "That depends on her attitude."
Alton sighed inwardly. Given Carolyn and Sharon's strong personalities, this meeting was bound to be a rocky one.
Soon, Sharon entered the restaurant. Alton quickly stood and walked over to her, leading her to the table.
"Sharon, just a heads-up, your mom's got a habit of giving orders, so brace yourself."
"Got it."
Following Alton, they reached the table in less than two minutes. Alton looked at Carolyn.
"Aunt Carolyn, this is Sharon. Doesn't she look just like you?"
"Sharon, this is your mother."
Sharon and Carolyn stared at each other in silence. After about ten seconds, Carolyn lifted her chin.
"Sit."
Her voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. Sharon couldn't reconcile this woman with the loving mother from her childhood memories.
She sat across from Carolyn. "Hi, Alton mentioned you want me to go to Stellaria."
Carolyn nodded, her gaze scrutinizing. "If you come with me to Stellaria, I'll make sure you inherit the Stoll family fortune. You'll have more wealth than you can imagine, anything you want."
She believed this was an irresistible offer and expected Sharon to be tempted.
However, Sharon's expression remained calm. "Anything I want?"
Carolyn thought for a moment. She could indeed get anything she wanted, so she nodded. "Yes."
"Then I want the motherly love I missed for over twenty years. Can you give me that?"
Carolyn frowned, confusion flickering in her eyes. She hadn't expected such a request.
"I had high hopes for you, but it seems you're quite immature. If you had any sense, you wouldn't say something so ridiculous."
Sharon smiled faintly. "Ms. Roach, maybe wealth is important to you, but to me, it's just numbers. You can't understand what I truly want."
The woman before her was just someone who looked like the mother she remembered. Inside, she was a different person.
Before coming, Sharon had held a sliver of hope that Carolyn might still have some motherly love for her. Now, she realized how wrong she had been.
But this was better. At least now, when they inevitably clashed, she wouldn't feel sad or hesitate.
"What you want doesn't matter to me. You have two choices: come with me willingly, or I'll take you by force."
"Of course, if you choose the latter, I'll bankrupt Silvercrest Group as a small punishment for your disobedience, so you understand the cost of defying me."
Sharon's hand clenched under the table, a cold glint in her eyes as she looked at Carolyn.
Sensing the tension, Alton quickly intervened. "Aunt Carolyn, what are you saying? This is your first meeting with Sharon. Isn't it too harsh to threaten her? You should be catching up and expressing how much you've missed each other. Didn't you tell me you were looking forward to this meeting?"
Carolyn frowned at him. "When did I ever say that?"
Alton fell silent.
"I'll go to Stellaria with you."
As Sharon spoke, both Alton and Carolyn focused their attention on her.
Sharon looked into Carolyn's eyes and repeated, "I can agree to go to Stellaria and follow your plan to inherit the Stoll family, but I have three conditions."
Carolyn stared at her. "What are your conditions?"
"First, Demetrius stays in Metropolis. Second, you provide resources to Seb's company to help it go international. Third, I want to control my own marriage."
Carolyn narrowed her eyes, contemplating for a moment before smiling. "Once you join the Stoll family, you and Seb will be in completely different worlds. As for Demetrius, if you don't take him to Stellaria, his path will mirror yours. Are you sure you don't want to bring him?"
Carolyn could guess Sharon's intentions behind the second condition. But she underestimated the complexity of the Stoll family. No matter how many resources Seb received, he couldn't compete with the Stoll family. As for the third condition, once Sharon was in Stellaria, her marriage would be out of her control.
Sharon's expression was resolute. "I'm sure. You want me in Stellaria to be a puppet. I don't want my son to become one too."
"Foolish."
Carolyn could make both Demetrius and Seb into puppets to threaten Sharon. From the moment she decided Sharon would go to Stellaria, Sharon had no choice. The only difference was whether she complied willingly or resisted and then conceded.
"You just need to tell me if you agree to my conditions. Whether my decision is foolish isn't for you to judge."
Carolyn frowned, displeased with Sharon's attitude. She wondered how Robert had raised her to be so disrespectful. Once in Stellaria, Sharon would need to relearn proper etiquette.
"Fine, I agree. When can you come to Stellaria?"
"I need time to say goodbye to Seb and Demetrius."
"I'll give you three days. I'm busy and can't waste time here."
Sharon's lips pressed together, her face pale. After a long pause, she finally nodded. "Okay."
"I'll have Alton send you the plane ticket. We'll meet at the airport in three days."
With the matter settled, Carolyn had no interest in small talk. She grabbed her bag and left.
Alton finally reacted and quickly asked, "Sharon, why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Before Sharon arrived, he thought the meeting would fall apart. He hadn't expected it to be resolved in just a few minutes. Sharon had been so resistant to going to Stellaria, yet she changed her stance as soon as Carolyn arrived.
Sharon looked at him. "Why I changed my mind isn't important. What matters is the final outcome."
Alton frowned. Though his goal was to get Sharon to Stellaria, her sudden agreement left him feeling uneasy.
"You need to think carefully. The Stoll family is very complex. You might face many unexpected challenges."
Sharon smiled, her eyes mocking. "Mr. Roach, you were the one who initially urged me to go to Stellaria. Now you're telling me to reconsider. Do you want me to go or not?"
"I want you to understand the Stoll family fully before deciding."
"It seems I don't have much choice."
Alton was speechless. Carolyn's personality meant she wouldn't care about Sharon's feelings.
After a moment of silence, Alton looked at Sharon. "Don't worry too much. Though the Stoll family is complicated, your uncle and I will help you. But if you don't take Demetrius, you might never see him again."
Seeing the fleeting guilt in his eyes, Sharon spoke. "If you feel sorry for me and Demetrius, promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"If I ever ask for your help in Stellaria, you must help me no matter what."
Alton smiled. "Once you become the Stoll family heir, I might be the one asking for favors."
"So, are you agreeing or not?"
Seeing Sharon's serious expression, Alton nodded. "Alright, I promise."
"Hope you keep your word, Mr. Roach."
"If you don't believe me, I can swear on my life."
Sharon shook her head. "That's not necessary. I have things to do, so I'll leave now."
Leaving the restaurant, Sharon drove straight to Silvercrest Group.
Seb was surprised to see her. "Sharon, what brings you here?"
"I missed you, so I came to see you."
Sharon looked at him with love in her eyes, mixed with a hint of sadness.
Seb, perceptive as ever, quickly sensed something was off. He walked over to her. "What's wrong?"
Sharon shook her head. "Nothing, maybe I'm just tired lately. You go ahead and work. I'll read a book here, and we can pick up Demetrius together tonight."
"No, something's definitely wrong. Sharon, if there's anything bothering you, tell me. We're married now; we should be honest with each other."
"Really, it's nothing. If there's anything, it's that I missed you and wanted to see you. Is that not allowed?"
"Of course it is. I'm just worried you're keeping something to yourself."
"I'm not. Go ahead and work. If I'm disturbing you, I'll leave."
She turned to leave, but Seb quickly pulled her into his arms. "I don't mind being disturbed by you."
Sharon looked up at him, about to speak, but Seb's face lowered to hers.
She wrapped her arms around Seb's neck, responding passionately.
After what felt like an eternity, Seb finally released her lips.
Sharon was breathless, her face flushed. "You should get back to work, or you'll have to work late tonight."
Seb looked down at her. "Do you think I can focus on work now?"
With that, he lifted Sharon and carried her to the nearby rest room.
As soon as the door closed, Seb pressed Sharon against it, kissing her deeply.
One kiss led to another, and soon they were on the bed.
Just as Seb was about to proceed, Sharon pushed against his chest. "You didn't bring protection..."
Sharon rarely visited Silvercrest Group, so there were no condoms in the rest room.
Seb held her waist, his voice low. "It's a safe day."
Sharon wanted to say more, but Seb's kiss silenced her.
Two hours later, Seb emerged from the rest room, looking satisfied.
Inside, Sharon was exhausted, her body aching. She checked the time; it was almost time to pick up Demetrius. She forced herself to get up despite the pain.
Her hands and legs trembled as she dressed.
Seb was such a jerk!
She hadn't rested for those entire two hours!
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