NovelEnglishSkyler took a deep breath and said, "Star, about what happened before... It's true —it was my fault. | never
should have said those things in anger."
He hesitated, as if searching for the right words, then continued, "All these years, not a day has gone by that |
haven't thought about you. If you'd just reached out to me, | would have gladly let the past go."
"Star-"
He was gearing up for a heartfelt speech, but Stella cut him off, her tone cool and businesslike.
"Since you agree that what happened before was your mistake," she said, “let's start by handling the paperwork
to change my legal status. It won't take long. I'll soon be competing internationally, and the attention | get won't
just be local."
Her gaze was steady as she went on, "When that tcomes, rival teams might resort to any kind of dirty trick
to undermine me. | don't want my background to becammunition for them."
She gave Skyler a polite, almost mocking smile. "You wouldn't want my academic record or family situation to be
used against me, would you?"
Jonathan, ever the loyalist, jumped in. "You're Skyler's daughter! Who would dare mock you? Star, as long as the
Williams family stands, your father will never allow anyone to slander you."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
Stella barely suppressed a bitter laugh.
Just a short while ago, when Felipa and her friends were busy dragging her nthrough the mud, not a single
person from the Williams family had spoken up for her.
She knew exactly what Skyler's words really meant.
She had to be officially recognized as his daughter, a member of the Williams family, before he'd even consider
stepping in to help. In other words, his support cwith strings attached.
Stella changed tack. "If you wantback in the Williams family, that's not impossible. But | have one condition."
Skyler's face lit up with joy, as if he'd finally found his long-lost daughter.
"Anything you want," he said eagerly. "As long as you're willing to chome, I'll agree to whatever you ask."
Stella nodded
dded "Before my mother
passed away, she leftsome
original shares in the company. They belong toalone, and | have no
intention of handing them over to
anyone else. | trust you have mo objection to that, Father?"
The smile froze on Skyler's face for a split second.
Even Jonathan's expression shifted, a flicker of something uneasy passing across his features.
So Stella knew about the original shares? Since when?
They'd tested her before—at the time, she'd seemed clueless, never betraying a
hint that she knew anything about them.
Who told her? Nora's lawyer? One of the company's old guard?
Jonathan spoke up, his voice a touch too casual. "Star, even if you keep those shares, they're not use to you.
You're not trained to
manage a company, and hoch
onto them will only make yo@a
target for jealousy. If you just want the dividends, we can exchange them for ordinary shares at the current
buyout price. That way, you'll get your cut every year without any risk or hassle."
He'd been watching Stella closely these past few months, and he knew she was no pushover.
The only reason Rachel had been able to bully her before was because Stella had no support. Haynes, her
husband, always sided with Rachel. Jasper was nothing more than Rachel's lackey. Stella had neither money nor
connections; it was no wonder she'd been outmatched.
But ever since she'd met Neville, Mr. Burton, and a few others, everything had changed. The rumors and
scandals that should have ruined her only made her more famous, boosted her influence.
Even Haynes, who'd always had the upper hand, had gotten nowhere with her lately.
Then there were Sherman Burton, Karl, even Sellers Burton-every one of them ended up embarrassed and
outmaneuvered by Stella.
It was obvious: with the right allies, Stella was a force to be reckoned with.
So if they thought they could snatch her shares for nothing, they were dreaming.
Even if it weren't for everything that had happened, even if they were siblings by blood, he wouldn't let her walk
away empty-handed.
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