Chapter 571 Anyone Can Betray Me, But Not You!
Alton frowned, "Aunt Carolyn, do you really have to push me like this?"
Before heading to Metropolis, Carolyn had promised him she would respect Sharon's wishes as much as possible.
But once they arrived, Carolyn reverted to her usual ways, leaving no room for negotiation. She even went back on the conditions she had agreed to with Sharon after Sharon came to Stellaria.
Sometimes Alton couldn't understand—was Sharon Carolyn's daughter or her enemy? What kind of mother would be so heartless to her own child? Even if her initial intention was to use Sharon, did she have to be so cruel?
Carolyn's face turned grim, her gaze at Alton filled with anger and disappointment.
"Alton, who is pushing whom here? Don't forget, the Roach family wouldn't be where it is today without my help. The status you and your father enjoy now is because of me. Anyone can betray me, but not you!"
Alton pressed his lips together, looking at the twisted expression on Carolyn's face, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.
Carolyn had indeed helped the Roach family a lot, but now that he knew the path she was taking was wrong, he couldn't support her.
"Aunt Carolyn, is it really worth sacrificing Sharon and your own conscience for your son?"
"Whether it's worth it or not is not for you to decide. You just need to answer me—are you with me or are we cutting ties?"
As Carolyn's words fell, the living room plunged into silence. No one spoke for a moment.
Sensing the tension, Daisy quickly stood up and walked over to them, addressing Alton, "Alton, apologize to my mom! Tell her you know you were wrong, and she'll forgive you!"
Daisy's face was full of panic. She had never seen Alton and Carolyn argue before, and now Carolyn was talking about cutting ties with Alton. The thought of that outcome made Daisy anxious.
Alton looked at Daisy, her face full of fear and panic. He had always cherished Daisy, but thinking about Sharon's experiences over the years and seeing Daisy, who had been carefully raised by Carolyn, he felt it was unfair to Sharon.
At that moment, he finally understood why Sharon had always been resistant and cold towards Carolyn, refusing to come to Stellaria. If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't forgive Carolyn either.
Thinking of this, Alton looked at Carolyn, serious and determined. "Aunt Carolyn, if you can't treat Sharon the same way you treat Daisy and Gareth, I can't help you anymore."
Carolyn sneered, "So you're willing to cut ties with me for Sharon, is that it?"
"She's not just anyone; she's your daughter, my cousin."
"To me, she's just a pawn to use. I stopped seeing her as my daughter a long time ago."
Alton nodded, "You have your views, and I can't change them. But I have my principles to uphold. Aunt Carolyn, I wish you the best. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
With that, Alton turned and left.
Behind him, Carolyn's furious voice rang out, "Alton, don't regret this! Once we cut ties, everything I've given the Roach family can be taken back in an instant!"
Alton paused for a moment but didn't look back. He walked straight out of the living room.
Carolyn was nearly driven mad with anger, her hatred for Sharon growing. Ever since Sharon came to Stellaria, nothing had gone smoothly! Even Alton, whom she had watched grow up, was willing to cut ties with her for Sharon.
She angrily knocked over a nearby antique vase, her face grim.
Alton had just reached the manor's entrance when Daisy caught up with him.
Daisy's expression was furious, her gaze at Alton no longer warm but filled with hostility. "Alton, you were too much! You actually stood up to my mom for Sharon and want to cut ties with her. Are you crazy?"
Alton's expression was cold, "I'm perfectly sane, Daisy. You're my sister, and Sharon is my sister too."
"She has nothing to do with us! She's just a wretch! Ever since she came to the manor, our lives have been a mess. I want her to disappear from this world!"
Seeing Daisy's malicious expression, a hint of displeasure flashed in Alton's eyes, but he didn't reprimand her. "Daisy, your life being a mess isn't her fault; it's your mother's. If Carolyn hadn't been so greedy, she wouldn't have brought Sharon to Stellaria. Sharon is a victim too."
"It's because of her! She came and disrupted our peaceful lives, causing you to break with my mom. I hate her!"
Seeing her agitated state, Alton said nothing more, turning to get into his car and leave.
He probably wouldn't come back here again. He couldn't bring himself to join Carolyn in pressuring Sharon, so leaving now was the best choice.
Watching Alton's car disappear from sight, Daisy's eyes instantly reddened. She looked up, rubbing her eyes to keep the tears from falling.
Since Alton chose Sharon, she wouldn't associate with him anymore!
Taking a deep breath to suppress her sadness, Daisy turned and went back to the manor.
Returning to the living room, she saw the mess and Carolyn standing in the middle of it, her face grim. Daisy quickly walked over. "Mom, are you okay?"
Carolyn looked at her coldly, "What did Alton say to you?"
Daisy sniffled, "I tried to persuade him to come back and apologize, but he refused."
Carolyn's face was icy, "I must have misjudged him. From now on, we have no ties with the Roach family. You are not to contact him anymore!"
She wanted to see how long the Roach family could last without her support!
"Okay, Mom."
Carolyn's anger subsided, her expression gradually calming. She called for the servants to clean up the living room and then went to her study.
An hour later, Gareth returned.
"Mom, I've investigated the people you mentioned. From last night until now, there hasn't been any unusual behavior. Do you have any other suspects?"
Carolyn's face turned grim. These people were the most likely and capable of hiding Sharon's whereabouts.
"I'll give you a list. Check them immediately. Find her before the banquet starts."
"Alright, Mom."
Carolyn wrote down a list, and Gareth took it and left immediately.
Meanwhile, Sharon also learned that Carolyn was sending people to find her.
When the servant came to report, Sharon was playing chess with an elderly man. She looked across the table with some concern.
"Am I causing you trouble?" Sharon asked, her voice tinged with concern.
The elderly man smiled warmly. "Don't worry, she won't find you here. I've already made arrangements. Is your dress ready for the evening banquet?"
"Yes, it is." Sharon replied.
She was about to ask more when the elderly man suddenly said, "Miss Roach, you've lost."
Sharon looked down and saw that her pieces had indeed been captured. "I need more practice, it seems."
The elderly man put down his chess piece and smiled. "You lost because your mind wasn't calm. Chess requires focus and patience, or you'll quickly be defeated. The same goes for interactions between people; you can't rush things."
Understanding that the elderly man was using chess to give her advice, Sharon nodded. "I understand."
"I'll go to work now. Once you're ready, I'll have the driver take you to the banquet. Whether you can get information from your mother will be up to you."
"Okay." Sharon agreed.
After the elderly man left, he went straight to his study. He had just sat down when he received an overseas call.
"How is she?" A voice asked.
The elderly man raised an eyebrow. "You only care about her, not me?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end before Seb's somewhat helpless voice came through. "You have so many people caring about you every day, my concern is redundant."
The elderly man chuckled. "She's doing well, you don't need to worry. But she's going back to Carolyn's manor tonight. Are you sure she can handle it alone?"
"Yes, I trust her." Seb replied confidently.
"Alright, she's the only one who can get useful information. I'll ensure her safety. Once I have control of the Stoll family, I'll arrange for her to return home."
"Okay." Seb agreed.
They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.
The elderly man put down the phone, a smile playing on his lips.
In the evening, as Carolyn was anxiously increasing the manpower to find Sharon, the butler came to report that Sharon had returned.
Carolyn's expression changed, and she quickly walked to the living room.
Seeing Sharon sitting on the sofa, Carolyn's face turned livid, and she hurried over.
"Where have you been for the past day?" Carolyn demanded.
Sharon looked up, meeting Carolyn's questioning gaze, and replied calmly, "Ms. Carolyn Roach, aren't you all-powerful? You managed to bring me from Metropolis to Stellaria. Finding out where I've been for a day should be easy for you."
Carolyn's face was grim. "Sharon, my patience is limited. Before I get angry, you'd better honestly tell me where you've been!"
"Would you believe me if I told you?" Sharon asked, her tone provocative.
Carolyn's face stiffened. Of course, she wouldn't believe it. Even if Sharon told her the truth, she would still investigate to find out what really happened.
With Jeremy's health deteriorating, no one knew when he might suddenly die. She couldn't afford any problems during this time!
Realizing this, she said coldly, "Whether I believe you or not is one thing. Whether you tell me is another!"
Sharon smirked. "Since you won't believe me, there's no point in me telling you. Besides, I would definitely lie to you. If you want to hear nonsense, I can tell you right now that I spent the day sleeping by a trash can."
"You!" Carolyn's face flushed with anger.
Carolyn gritted her teeth in anger. Only Sharon could come up with such nonsense and say it out loud!
Just as she was about to lose her temper, the butler stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "Madam, the banquet is in just over two hours. The most important thing is to get through the banquet first; we can deal with other matters afterward."
Carolyn instantly calmed down, looking at Sharon coldly. "We'll discuss where you've been later. For now, go to your room. I'll send the makeup artist and stylist to prepare you for the banquet."
"No need for the stylist. I brought a dress back myself." Sharon replied.
Hearing this, Carolyn noticed the box next to Sharon.
The box had the logo of a niche luxury brand from Stellaria, known only in high society. Their clothes didn't have logos on the outside but had a discreet embroidered logo inside, making it hard to identify the brand from the outside.
Their seasonal designs were always stunning and required a three-month advance reservation to purchase.
Just from the box, Carolyn knew that the person who took Sharon last night must be of similar status to her.
She stepped forward and opened the box, seeing the shimmering mermaid strapless gown inside. Her face turned extremely sour.
She knew this dress had been reserved by a mysterious buyer three months ago.
But no secret was absolute. With a clue, the buyer could be found!
She sneered, "Since you have your dress ready, wear it tonight."
With that, she turned and left.
Back in her study, she immediately called Bell Burton, the chief designer at DG. "Bell, if I remember correctly, you designed a mermaid strapless gown three months ago, which was bought by a mysterious buyer."
A cheerful male voice responded, "Yes, Ms. Roach. Why do you ask?"
"I want to know who that mysterious buyer is."
There was silence on the other end.
After a while, Bell Burton spoke, "Ms. Roach, you know we can't disclose our clients' privacy."
"I heard you want to leave DG and start your own studio. If you tell me who that person is, I can invest in your new studio."
The other end fell into a longer silence, and Carolyn waited patiently.
After a long time, Bell spoke, "I heard you're hosting a banquet tonight to introduce your eldest daughter. May I have the honor of attending?"
Understanding his implication, Carolyn smiled, "Of course, I'll have the servant send you an invitation shortly."
"Great, I have work to do. See you tonight."
After hanging up, Carolyn looked in the direction Sharon had left, a cold smile on her lips.
Meanwhile, Bell hung up the phone and looked at the elderly man across from him, smiling, "The big fish has taken the bait."
"Enjoy the evening." The elderly man replied.
Sharon returned to her bedroom, where the stylist and makeup artist were already waiting at the vanity.
As soon as she entered, the makeup artist said, "Ms. Sharon Roach, please sit here. We don't have much time."
Sharon walked over and sat down. As the makeup artist and stylist were about to start, Sharon suddenly said, "By the way, I'll be wearing this dress tonight. Please match my hairstyle and makeup to it."
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