chapter1464

Simone faltered. "If not Stella, then... Joshua?"

"Exactly," Leonard confirmed. "His target is Joshua."

Simone frowned. "But everything that's happened recently has clearly been aimed at Stella."

Leonard said lightly, "Leaking the 'fake heiress' story at the party was a smokescreen from Sellers, but it also killed two birds with one stone."

Simone's confusion was evident. "Two birds with one stone? The plan seemed transparent and crude. Shouldn't the Camerons have been the ones humiliated?"

Leonard explained, "The Williams family choosing not to believe it was one outcome. Them choosing to believe it was another. Who could guarantee they would side with Stella?"

Simone froze for a few seconds, then it clicked. Sellers was gambling on whether the Williams family would turn on Stella for their own benefit.

If they did, the Williams and Cameron families would scramble to seize her shares, perhaps even challenge the will on public policy grounds, putting Stella in a very vulnerable position.

"But Sellers lost the bet," Simone said. "The Williams family didn't abandon Stella."

Leonard countered, "They didn't abandon her because they didn't want to look greedy and lose face publicly. What if Stella had powerful evidence? Their ugly ambition would have been exposed to the world."

Simone nodded thoughtfully. "You said the plan killed two birds with one stone. What was the other ive?"

A cold smile touched Leonard's lips. "True or not, there are always fools or clever people willing to believe a useful rumor."

Simone was confused again. "What do you mean? I understand why fools would believe a rumor. But clever people?"

Leonard gazed in the direction of Stella's office, his eyes dark. "Whether Stella is the real heiress notis irrelevant What matters is that clever people know when to fan the flames. And now, the opportunity has presented itself, hasn't it?"

Simone still didn't get it. "Brother, you said Sellers was after Joshua, but all this is happening to Stella."

Leonard elaborated, "Sellers leaked

BUT

the 'fake heiress' story to lay the groundwork. The Williams Group's secrets get leaked, orders are canceled, the stock price tumbles, and then a story breaks about Stella's affair with her assistant. Just n w, Stella skipped a board meeting to see Joshua after his 'accident. Whether Joshua is the leak or not, he's now perceived as a liability to the Williams Group. The company can't tolerate him. They will pressure Stella, force her to choose between the company and him."

A cryptic smile played on Leonard's lips. "Sellers is really playing for keeps. To spend so much money just to drive a wedge between Stella and Joshua, to cut off her support... it's quite a spectacle."

Simone pursed her lips. "Aurora's schemes are certainly impressive."

"Aurora is, at most, forty percent of Sellers's motivation," Leonard corrected. "A large part of that forty percent is his belief that Aurora controlling the Williams

benefit him. The family would

sixty

percent..." He scoffed. "...is likely for his own reasons."

Simone was puzzled. "His own reasons? What reasons?"

"You'd have to ask Sellers himself," Leonard said.

Stella rushed to the hospital. As she entered the lobby, she saw Manager Crawford walking toward her.

Stella stopped in her tracks. "Manager Crawford, you're... okay?"