Chapter 566 Is This Your Idea of Providing Resources?
She glanced at Alton, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Alton, you're finally back. Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?"
Alton raised an eyebrow. "If I remember right, when I left, you said you hoped I'd never come back."
The girl stuck out her tongue. "You must've heard wrong. How could I ever wish for you not to return? By the way, did you bring me a gift?"
As she spoke, she had already stood up and walked over to Alton, extending her hand expectantly.
Alton chuckled. "Don't worry, I brought you something. I'll have the staff bring it to your room later."
"It better be something I like. If not, I'll have the staff return it to you."
"Alright, alright. By the way, let me introduce you to someone. This is Sharon, your sister."
The smile on the girl's face faded a bit as she looked at Sharon with a hint of hostility. "Sister? I only have one brother. Where'd this sister come from?"
From the girl's expression and tone, Sharon could tell that she had been spoiled since childhood, which was why she felt free to express her emotions so openly.
Because there was always someone to back her up and indulge her unconditionally.
Alton frowned. "Daisy, don't be rude. Sharon is your half-sister. She'll be living here with us from now on."
Daisy looked indifferent and dismissive. "Alton, not just anyone can be my sister. I have plans to go shopping with friends, so I have to go. Bye."
With that, she didn't bother to see Alton and Sharon's reactions and walked past them, leaving.
Alton sighed but didn't stop her.
He turned to Sharon. "Sharon, I'm sorry. Daisy has been spoiled since she was little, so she's a bit unruly."
"It's fine. Where can I find Ms. Roach?"
"She should be in the study right now. I'll take you there."
Sharon nodded. "Okay."
The estate was enormous. Alton led her out of the living room, down a long hallway, and through several twists and turns before stopping at a door.
Alton knocked, and when Carolyn's voice said "Come in," he opened the door and entered.
Seeing Alton and Sharon, Carolyn frowned and put down the document she was holding.
"What do you want?"
Before Alton could speak, Sharon said, "Ms. Roach, could you tell me where my room is?"
Carolyn's face darkened. "Sharon, I'm your mother! Don't you have any manners?"
"Ms. Roach, I'm sorry, but you don't seem to be lacking children. Besides, I can't bring myself to call you that. I hope you understand."
Carolyn was about to speak when Alton quickly interrupted. "Aunt Carolyn, Sharon just arrived in Stellaria and isn't familiar with anything yet. Why don't you have someone arrange a room for her and show her around the estate? We can discuss everything else later."
Seeing Alton's frantic eye signals, Carolyn reluctantly suppressed her anger and picked up the phone, dialing a number.
"Come to my study immediately."
Soon, a woman in her forties, dressed in a maid's uniform, knocked and entered the study.
"Madam, you called for me?"
Carolyn looked at her and said sternly, "Arrange a room for her and show her around the estate. Let her know which areas are accessible and which are off-limits."
The maid nodded. "Yes, madam. May I know who this young lady is?"
"Sharon Roach, my eldest daughter."
"Understood. Ms. Sharon Roach, please follow me."
Sharon turned and followed the maid out, leaving Carolyn and Alton alone in the study.
Alton walked over to Carolyn's desk and tried to persuade her. "Aunt Carolyn, don't be too hard on Sharon. She didn't grow up with you, so it's normal for you two to have different perspectives. If you want her to listen to you, you need to be patient with her. Once the gap between you two is bridged, she'll be more willing to listen."
Carolyn rolled her eyes. "Do you think that's possible? Every time I see her cold expression, I feel dissatisfied."
"If she senses your dissatisfaction, the distance between you will only grow."
"That doesn't matter to me. As long as she listens to me, that's enough."
Alton nodded, not pressing further. "Alright, then do as you see fit. Just know that the outcome might be very different from what you expect."
With that, Alton turned and left.
Carolyn threw the document on the desk, lit a cigarette, and took a drag, but it did nothing to calm her frustration.
Before returning to the country, she had planned to bring Sharon over to shield Gareth and Daisy from internal attacks within the Stoll family.
But upon meeting Sharon, she realized Sharon was very much like her younger self.
Although she hadn't changed her initial plan, seeing Sharon's distant and indifferent attitude still made her feel uneasy.
Putting out the cigarette, she left the study.
Meanwhile, the maid had led Sharon to a room at the end of the third floor.
"Ms. Sharon Roach, this will be your room."
Sharon opened the door. The room was simply decorated, and she liked the color scheme. She nodded. "Okay. How far is this from Ms. Roach's bedroom?"
The maid paused, realizing Sharon meant Carolyn. "It's about a ten-minute walk from here to Ms. Carolyn Roach's bedroom."
From the start, they hadn't planned to place Sharon near Carolyn, Daisy, or Gareth, to prevent Sharon from cozying up to them.
After all, the next heir of the Stoll family hadn't been decided yet, and Sharon's sudden appearance might mean she was here to compete with Gareth and Daisy for that position.
She had watched Gareth and Daisy grow up and naturally didn't want to see Sharon come and take away what rightfully belonged to them.
Sharon understood the maid's intentions but didn't let it bother her. "Alright, I understand. Thank you."
The maid's eyes flashed with surprise as she watched Sharon walk into the room. She couldn't believe Sharon didn't react angrily upon learning she was placed so far from Carolyn.
If Sharon had caused trouble, the maid could have used it as an excuse to complain to Carolyn, making her dislike Sharon even more.
But Sharon calmly accepted the maid's malicious arrangement.
Sharon walked to the window and looked at the view outside. Her room was on the third floor, offering a perfect view of the garden below.
Even in winter, the garden was filled with beautiful flowers, a sight to behold.
She turned away, ready to rest for a while, but noticed the maid still standing at the door. "I'd like to rest for an hour. Could you come back then to show me around the estate?"
She wasn't particularly interested in the estate, but it was large, and she needed to familiarize herself with the important locations to avoid getting lost later.
Here, no one would help her; she was on her own.
The maid pursed her lips. "I have something to do in an hour. We can go now, or you'll have to wait until I'm free, and I can't say when that will be."
Sharon frowned and stood up. "Alright, let's go now."
"Fine." The maid turned and walked out, feeling smug.
She didn't notice the slight smile on Sharon's lips as she followed behind.
Knowing Sharon was tired, the maid deliberately took the longest route, explaining where everything was and pointing out the restricted areas.
Sharon silently mapped out the estate in her mind as they walked, noting where each path led.
After more than an hour, they had finally toured the estate.
The maid was tired, and when she looked at Sharon, she saw sweat on her forehead and couldn't help but smirk.
"Ms. Roach, did you remember everything I told you?"
Sharon frowned, looking frustrated. "Sorry, I forgot some of it. Could you go over it again?"
The maid's expression changed. "You forgot everything?"
"Not everything, just some parts. I remember the restricted areas you mentioned, but I forgot the details."
"You look tired today. I'll take you back, and I'll go over it again when I'm free."
"Alright, thank you."
After escorting Sharon back to her room, the maid left.
Sharon took out her phone and drew a map of the routes they had taken.
Once done, she took a photo and hid the paper at the bottom of a drawer. She opened Facebook and sent a message to Seb.
Sharon: [I've arrived safely. I'm at Carolyn's estate now. It's huge! I'll show you the map!]
She sent the photo immediately.
It was late at night in the States, but Seb replied quickly.
Seb: [Are you tired? Get some rest. Contact me anytime if you need anything. Miss you.]
Seeing the last sentence, Sharon couldn't help but smile, then her expression fell.
She bit her lip and dialed a video call.
Seb answered quickly, his face appearing on the screen.
Seeing Sharon, he smiled. "Hey, Sharon."
Sharon noticed he was in his office and frowned. "Isn't it late at night in Metropolis? Why are you still at the office?"
Seb sighed. "There's an issue at work. I'll be home early tomorrow night, I promise."
Sharon looked displeased. "I don't believe you. I'll ask Dana if you've been eating properly!"
"Sharon, tonight was an emergency. I swear, starting tomorrow, I'll eat well and leave work on time. Okay?"
Seb's soothing voice came through the phone, as if he were right beside her.
But they both knew they were oceans apart, with a time difference of several hours.
He was working hard to be with her sooner.
Sharon's eyes stung. "Seb, I'm not mad at you. I just... I just worry about you. I don't want you to work so hard."
"I know. So, to ease your worries, I'll follow your advice starting tomorrow. You can check with Dana anytime, okay?"
"Okay."
"Alright, get some rest. We'll video chat again once you're rested."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Seb turned to Paul. "Notify the shareholders. The meeting resumes in ten minutes."
"Yes, Mr. Smith. But the shareholders are exhausted."
They had been in meetings since evening, and it was now close to 4 AM. No one could endure that.
"I understand."
The meeting finally ended around 5 AM, and the shareholders were too tired to leave, opting to sleep in their offices.
Seb didn't rest; he continued working on various documents.
Paul couldn't stand it and reminded him, "Mr. Smith, you've been awake for almost thirty-six hours. Your body won't hold up. You should rest."
"I'm not tired. You go rest."
Paul gritted his teeth. "Mr. Smith, you should tell Ms. Roach about the Stoll family's actions against Silvercrest Group. She has no idea how much pressure you're under."
"This is between Sharon and me. I know what I'm doing. Leave."
Paul sighed and left Seb's office.
But he had decided to contact Sharon. If the Stoll family continued targeting Silvercrest Group, it wouldn't survive much longer.
In the stairwell, he took out his phone and sent Sharon a message on Facebook, explaining Silvercrest Group's predicament.
Sharon quickly called back.
"What's going on? Is the Stoll family really targeting Silvercrest Group?"
"Yes, Silvercrest Group might go bankrupt within a month."
Sharon's face darkened. "I understand. I'll handle this."
She hung up and immediately left her room to find Carolyn.
At Carolyn's study door, she didn't knock but pushed it open and walked in.
Carolyn frowned. "Don't you have any manners? You should knock before entering."
"You promised to provide resources for Silvercrest Group. Is targeting Silvercrest Group your idea of providing resources?"
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