chapter1659

So what if it was Stella?

And so what if it wasn't?

Were they really going to hold her responsible?

Stella now had the support of half the shareholders of The Williams Group and had partnerships with the Quinn family and The Gardner Group. She wasn't someone they could just investigate on a whim.

Summoning her was merely a way to probe whether she had been involved in Aurora's kidnapping.

While unlikely, it wasn't entirely impossible.

Knowing he was powerless against Stella and Joshua, Coleman could only shut his mouth.

Stella attended the family meeting as if she were there to watch a show. She couldn't understand why King Wright would hate Aurora with such intensity. Even if he found out Aurora had staged her own rescue of Princess Wright, it didn't warrant this level of animosity.

Everyone chattered away, offering their opinions, and even McCoy chimed in with a few thoughts. Stella and Joshua listened like outsiders.

Only Leonard remained silent.

After a while, Stella grew bored and whispered to Joshua, "Joshua, your injuries haven't healed yet. Do you want to go outside for some fresh air and rest?"

Joshua had little interest in rescuing Aurora; he had only come along to make sure Stella wasn't bullied. Seeing that everything was calm, he gave a slight nod.

Stella excused herself to Skyler, and then she and Joshua left the meeting room. No one reacted much to their departure. It was nearly impossible to expect them to help rescue Aurora; it was good enough that they weren't causing trouble.

Leonard watched their departing figures, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Through the window, he saw that Stella and Joshua hadn't left the Williams estate. Instead, they were sitting on a sofa on the balcony, chatting while enjoying the view. Stella personally brewed a pot of tea and washed some fruit.

Leonard couldn't hear what they were saying, but their expressions were relaxed and content. The way Stella occasionally looked at Joshua was filled with a soft, warm smile, like sunshine piercing through darkness.

When Stella looked at him, however, her gaze was cold and wary, devoid of any warmth.

Since Joshua's arm was injured and his movement was limited, Stella peeled a few lychees for him and placed them on a clean plate nearby. Joshua must have said something, because a hint of hesitation O appeared on Stella's face. Amoment later, she brought the peeled lychee in her hand to his lips.

Joshua's lips curved into a smile as he ate the fruit she offered. Whether

intentionally or not, his lips brushed against her fingertips.

Stella had clearly never encountered such a move before. Her cheeks flushed red,

and she snatched her hand back as if she'd been burned.

Leonard's eyes burned with fury as he watched. He couldn't restrain himself any longer and slammed his hand on the table.

A loud bang echoed through the room. The discussion came to an abrupt halt as everyone turned to look at Leonard in surprise. They had all been focused on Aurora's safety, drafting rescue plans and no

one had noticed his strange

behavior.

In that instant, Leonard snapped back to reality. He tore his gaze away, but his eyes

were chillingly cold, as if he wanted to kill someone.

The group had just been discussing whether King Wright would kill Aurora when Leonard suddenly slammed the table. They all assumed he was worried about her safety.

Jonathan even offered a rare word of comfort. Leonard, King Wright would never dare to kill Aurora. If he did, he'd be making an enemy of all our families. If our familles joined forces against the Wrights, they wouldn't be able to escape unscathed."