Chapter 721:
She wasn’t sugarcoating it, and she wasn’t afraid to let him hear it.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, tracing the sharp line of her profile in gold.
Karson listened, then let out a quiet, almost amused chuckle. She was the first person to speak so bluntly to him. Even Lance was careful not to contradict him. Yet here was Sylvia, meeting him for the first time, and she’d all but accused him of conspiring with Frank and Nina.
Courage, indeed. And she was nothing like the unpleasant woman Nina had described.
Karson asked a few more detailed questions about the research, and Stella answered smoothly. It was easy for her; she didn’t even need notes and could reply to every question without hesitation.
The longer Karson listened to Stella’s honest and clear explanations, the more impressed he became. She wasn’t just a smooth talker but truly skilled, proving she could compete with Nina.
He respected her calm yet strong attitude.
As they talked, he also felt a strange sense of familiarity with her, one that grew stronger and clearer the more she spoke.
Leaning back, Karson let a slight smile soften his stern expression. “You’ve got sharp thinking and solid knowledge. Good job.”
He paused, sounding like an elder giving advice to the young. “It’s no wonder Nina had trouble keeping pace with you.”
Stella stayed composed and replied politely, “Mr. Carter, you’re too generous.”
Right outside the study, the thick wooden door was left slightly ajar.
Nina lingered in the hallway, quietly listening to the conversation inside. Her hands were tightly clenched into fists.
Her perfectly shaped brows furrowed in anger as she stared at the woman she loathed. She couldn’t believe her grandfather was smiling at Stella and even admitted it was no surprise Nina had lost to her.
Nina’s anger boiled over. She had told Karson on the phone how much she hated Stella, calling her a liar and an opportunist who had sneaked her way in. Karson had told her to ignore people like that and promised he would support her.
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But now, seeing how he looked at Stella with open respect made Nina feel sick and even more furious. After all these years, she had hardly heard him say anything nice to her. Yet Stella, after just one meeting, had his respect? Why? How could a complete outsider come in and steal the spotlight from her?
Her breaths quickened, fingers digging into her palms despite the sharp sting.
She couldn’t take it anymore and turned sharply, walking down the stairs in her designer heels, seething with anger.
Downstairs, with people talking and glasses clinking, Nina stood among the crowd holding a glass of champagne. Her eyes fixed on Stella, who was coming down the spiral stairs.
Maybe people already knew who Stella was, because a group had gathered around her, eager to talk.
Nina’s eyes were icy. With red wine in hand, she headed directly toward Stella. She had promised herself she would make things hard for her, and this was the chance.
The wine spun slowly in her glass, mirroring the bitterness in her eyes.
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