Chapter 396 Welcoming
Stella let out a long sigh and then resignedly said, "He just doesn't like me. He's staying faithful to his late wife! Sometimes I even see him get an erection, but he'd rather endure it and make me leave."
The word "faithful" seemed ridiculous when paired with a man's physical reaction.
Calista's first reaction to Stella's explanation was to laugh out loud, but it quickly turned into a cold snort.
"Stella, in families like ours, love doesn't matter. What matters is what you can get. I never cared if your father loved me. Even if he fooled around, I'm still the mistress of the White family. Got it?"
Stella closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the sadness was gone, replaced by determination. "Mom, I can live without love. But I want a lot of money and ultimate power."
Sure, Charles was the dream guy for many young women, but that was conditional. If he weren't so powerful, his admirers would drop significantly.
Stella had known since she was a kid how different life could be between the rich and the poor. She refused to be a fallen heiress again; she would climb her way to the top!
Calista and Oliver naturally shared this mindset.
Over the years, the White Group had gained many benefits from collaborating with the Percy Group. If the two got married, it would elevate their status even further. Who could resist such temptation?
The White family had invited not only Charles but also many other wealthy businessmen from Evergreen City today. The goal was to announce their engagement in front of everyone.
Previous media rumors could be dismissed as speculation, but this time it was different.
Calista patted Stella's back reassuringly and said, "Good, that's my girl. Let's pick a dress. I'll help you."
Stella nodded, but as she looked around, she hesitated. "What should I wear?"
"You look good in anything, but today is special. Choose something elegant," Calista said, picking out a red dress.
The dress's skirt spread out like a bouquet of vibrant roses.
Stella nodded and went to change into the dress, following Calista's suggestion.
In the garden, guests had already started arriving.
Although the main guest, Charles, hadn't shown up yet, people were mingling and chatting, keeping themselves entertained.
Oliver, who was supposed to stay and host, was called away by a phone call.
Hearing that Charles had arrived, he quickly informed Calista and Stella, and they all went to the front to greet him.
A Rolls-Royce pulled up precisely at the entrance. The driver and Nolan got out first, opening the back door on either side.
Charles stepped out and was immediately met with the eager gazes of the White family.
"Mr. Percy!" they greeted him enthusiastically.
Ignoring them, Charles walked around to the other side to help Diana out, only to find she had already gotten out quickly and was looking at him, puzzled.
His gaze fell on her, noticing something he hadn't seen clearly in the car.
The back of her dress was open, with only a few crisscrossing metal chains, making her skin look even smoother in the sunlight.
Charles' lips pressed into a thin line, feeling displeased.
The dress was beautiful, no doubt, but he didn't want others to see it. In the next second, he took off his jacket and draped it over Diana.
The woody scent of his jacket enveloped her, and Diana felt the warmth from the fabric on her back, feeling strange.
She tried to take it off, but he held it in place. "Keep it on," Charles ordered in a low voice when he saw her resisting.
The White family watched their interaction, unable to ignore Diana even if they wanted to.
Their expressions turned sour, especially Stella, who bit her lip and clenched her dress so tightly it almost tore.
She hadn't expected Charles to bring this woman. Seeing Diana's simple attire made her feel like a gaudy clown.
Anger surged within her, and she wanted to step forward, but Calista grabbed her arm, holding her back. "Welcome, Mr. Percy. We've been waiting for you," Calista said.
Charles finally turned his head and gave a nonchalant nod.
Nolan handed over the contract, saying, "Mr. White, Mr. Percy is here. You can sign the papers now."
Oliver was almost ready to curse out loud at the rush to sign the contract before even stepping inside, but he held back for the sake of the White Group's future.
Diana was also fuming. Damn it, she had dressed up early in the morning just to stand at the entrance for them to see?
And wasn't that red dress for his fiancée? What contract? What was going on?
Diana felt completely deceived. 'And you told me this was a business gathering. Charles, you big liar!'
"Mr. Percy, is this the gathering you mentioned?" Diana hissed in Charles' ear, gritting her teeth.
He found her reaction amusing and glanced at her sideways. "What? You want to go in and eat?"
"Mr. Percy, I have no interest in being a third wheel. Why drag me into your affairs?" Diana's words wiped the smile off Charles' face. His sharp gaze through his glasses revealed a coldness.
"Mr. Percy, let's go inside and talk. We can't just settle this at the door," Oliver pleaded.
Originally planning to settle things quickly at the entrance, Charles changed his mind because of Diana's words.
"Fine," he said. If Diana thought she was a third wheel, he would let her see what the contract was about.
Oliver was delighted and exchanged a look with Calista. They understood each other immediately.
The next second, Calista pushed Stella forward, saying, "Stella, show this lady around. We have important matters to discuss."
"She's with me," Charles said coldly, meaning Diana couldn't be separated from him.
Stella's eyes reddened, and she held back her tears. "Charles!"
She called out softly, but Nolan interrupted, "Alright, Ms. White, we need to discuss the contract now. Let's go inside."
Calista, who had planned to separate them, was annoyed but kept smiling.
She even looked at Diana and said, "I feel a connection with this young lady. She looks so much like Stella. If I hadn't given birth to only Stella, I'd suspect she was a lost child of the White family."
Diana rolled her eyes internally. She was older than Stella, so if there was any resemblance, it was Stella who looked like her.
Besides, everyone's appearance is unique. Only fools would confuse them.
"Enough chatting. Let's go inside," Oliver interrupted, urging everyone to enter.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
