Chapter 355 Mutual Apologies
Stella's face went blank, thinking she must have misheard.
"What?"
Not just her, but even the servants, including Benjamin, were a bit stunned.
But Benjamin quickly snapped out of it, his angry expression turning smug.
He put his hands on his hips and said triumphantly, "Yeah, you. Apologize to me."
Before he could finish, there was a dull thud.
Benjamin yelped, almost dropping to his knees.
He glared at Charles, "Why'd you kick me?"
Even when Diana was mad, she wouldn't kick him. But Charles dared to!
Though the kick wasn't hard, it made Benjamin feel the same humiliation Stella had felt.
"Is that how you act when someone apologizes to you? So rude." Charles frowned, pulling Benjamin to his side. "You need to apologize to her too."
Benjamin's cheeks flushed red with anger. "No way!"
Charles wanted to say more but realized he wasn't in a position to discipline Benjamin.
The tension in the air was palpable.
Stella's eyes darted between the two. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that they were standing together, she realized how much they looked alike.
Her expression tightened, and she took the initiative to speak. "I'm sorry. What I did before was wrong. I sincerely apologize and hope you can forgive me."
Benjamin's face remained stern, showing no reaction to her seemingly insincere apology.
But Jacob, who had somehow appeared behind him, placed a wrinkled hand on his shoulder.
He crouched down beside him and whispered, "Listen to Mr. Percy. Apologize. Ms. White has already apologized first."
Benjamin scratched his ear. He was never one to back down easily.
But Diana always said that being too aggressive could lead to trouble.
Anyway, he was going home today. Backing down this once wouldn't hurt.
With that in mind, he decided to follow Jacob's advice and said, "I'm sorry, miss. My attitude was bad earlier. My mommy always says we should respect our elders and care for the young. I apologize."
After speaking, Benjamin even bent down and gave a formal bow.
Such a sincere apology.
It made Stella grit her teeth in anger.
What did he mean by "respect our elders"? Did he think she was old?
But with Charles there, she couldn't lose her temper. She forced a smile. "It's okay."
With the apologies exchanged, Charles' expression softened.
He glanced at the food Stella had brought and said, "You don't need to do this in the future. We have servants for that."
Stella felt touched. So he did care about her.
Her face flushed with shyness. Ignoring Benjamin's presence, she said softly, "I'm happy to cook for you."
No sooner had she spoken than Benjamin bent over, covering his mouth and making an exaggerated gagging sound.
The romantic atmosphere was instantly ruined.
Before either of them could speak, Benjamin clutched his stomach and said, "Sorry, I suddenly felt a bit nauseous."
"You!"
Stella's brow furrowed, and she wanted nothing more than to string Benjamin up and give him a good beating.
He was clearly doing it on purpose!
Seeing the mutual hostility, Charles rubbed his temples and said to Jacob, "Take him inside."
Jacob nodded and quickly grabbed Benjamin's hand, leading him into the house.
As they were about to leave the porch, Benjamin turned back and made a very provocative face at Stella.
Stella bit her lip, trying to keep her anger in check, and looked up at Charles. "Can I come in and sit for a while?"
Charles shook his head.
The house was filled with memories of him and Diana. Letting another woman in would taint those memories.
Even though she expected his refusal, Stella still felt a bit sad.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she asked, "Charles, that kid looks a lot like you. Are you two..."
"I remember telling you I don't like women who meddle too much," Charles interrupted coldly.
Stella shrank back timidly, nodding quietly, not daring to ask further.
They were about to get married soon. It was better for her to be obedient; feelings could be nurtured after marriage.
"I'm sorry. I was being nosy. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here to listen."
She hooked her arm around his sleeve, gently shaking it as a gesture of goodwill.
Just as Charles was about to speak, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
Nolan's name flashed on the screen.
Usually, Nolan would wait to report work matters in person at the office or send a document.
A call this early in the morning meant something important.
Without much hesitation, he shook off Stella's hand and said, "Go home. I have something to deal with."
Stella's hand fell empty, her face showing a hint of embarrassment.
She was a celebrity, yet she felt completely unattractive in front of Charles.
"Can't I come in and sit for a bit? That kid went in," she tried again, biting her lip.
But Charles wasn't interested in arguing. He turned to her assistant and said, "Take her home. We'll talk about what she wants next time."
Then he answered the call and walked into the house, leaving Stella standing there alone.
The previously enthusiastic servants, seeing her growing displeasure, quickly made their excuses and left, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
Stella's assistant approached, worried. "Are you okay?"
The next second, Stella grabbed her arm, her sharp nails digging into the flesh, making the assistant yelp in pain.
Stella's face twisted, but seeing the assistant's pained expression, she quickly regained her composure.
She forced a smile, though it looked sinister. "I'm fine. Just fine."
With that, she opened the car door and got in.
"Let's go."
The assistant looked at the nail marks on her arm, tears welling up.
If it weren't for the high salary, she wouldn't put up with this.
Anything involving Charles made Stella go crazy.
In the end, she had to clean up the mess and be Stella's emotional punching bag.
Getting pinched occasionally had become routine.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and drive!" Stella snapped, rolling down the window.
Out of her sight, the assistant quickly wiped her tears and replied in a muffled voice, "I'm coming."
Upstairs, in the master bedroom.
Charles' face was serious as he repeated into the phone, "Say that again."
Nolan swallowed hard and said, "Zachary was caught in a terrorist attack in Horizonia. Our people say he's dead."
"Dead?"
Zachary was dead?
As Elise's son and the only one who could challenge him for the inheritance, he was just gone?
Charles was silent for a moment before speaking coldly, "Make sure. No mistakes."
"Yes, Mr. Percy. Several people from the Rainbow Federation were killed in the attack. The embassy is still confirming identities."
Nolan paused before asking, "Mr. Percy, if Zachary is really dead, what do we do?"
"What do we do? Of course, we should give him a proper funeral."
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