Old Mr. Donovan waved his hand, showing impatience between his brows, clearly disinclined to look at her anymore.
He turned his gaze to Shane Donovan, "Shane, come with me to the study."
After speaking, he was the first to stand up and walk upstairs.
Shane Donovan squeezed Stella Sterling’s hand, giving her a reassuring look, "Wait here obediently for me, I’ll be down shortly."
"Hmm."
In the study, the rosewood furniture exuded a sense of timelessness, with sandalwood wafting through the air.
Old Mr. Donovan closed the door, his face even angrier. He walked behind the desk and slammed it, "Shane Donovan! What on earth are you trying to do?! Philip is your second uncle! You beat him so badly, he’s still lying in the hospital! Haven’t you gone too far with this?!"
Shane Donovan’s expression remained unchanged, as he casually sat down on the chair in front of the desk, crossing his long legs with a composed posture, "Grandpa, if you called me here just to accuse me, then I think there’s nothing left for us to discuss."
"You!" Old Mr. Donovan pointed at him, his finger trembling, "That’s your second uncle!"
"When he attacked me, he certainly didn’t think about being my second uncle."
Old Mr. Donovan’s brows furrowed tightly, his heart suddenly surged, his voice sinking, "The person who tampered with your car..."
However, before he could finish, Shane Donovan interrupted him, speaking lightly, "It wasn’t him, he doesn’t have the guts."
The only method he could think of to harm him was to incite Beatrice Donovan to poison him...
Such a person wouldn’t do something like tampering with his car.
Moreover, he had investigated afterwards, basically ruling out Philip Donovan and Beatrice Donovan’s suspicion...
But this way—
Who on earth would have such motive and capability?
Old Mr. Donovan seemed to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, his face relaxing slightly. He pursed his lips immediately, "Perhaps you’ve made too many enemies in the business world, someone might be looking to get back at you..."
A chill flashed in Shane Donovan’s eyes, he snorted coldly but said nothing further.
Instead, Old Mr. Donovan continued, "I’m old now, and sooner or later, this Donovan Family and the entire Donovan Group will fall into your hands. Don’t be too extreme, after all... we’re family."
When Shane Donovan spoke again, his tone was more tempered, "Grandfather, the Donovan Family needs a cleanse. I wasn’t around before, let them exploit the gap, but now that I’m managing the Donovan Group, it’s time to set some rules."
He raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting the old man’s, "As for Uncle, for your sake, I’ll leave him a way out, send him abroad for treatment, and the Donovan Family will cover his expenses for the rest of his life. But from now on, he and his branch of the family must not interfere in any affairs of the Donovan Family or Innovatech."
Old Mr. Donovan looked at his grandson’s stern brow, knowing he had made his decision, leaving no room for compromise.
He sighed heavily, seeming to age even more within a moment, wearily waving his hand, "Enough, enough... You’ve grown strong wings now, I can’t control you any longer. But Shane, in doing things... you must always leave a little room."
"I know my limits." Shane Donovan stood up, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll head down first. Stella is still downstairs."
When Stella Sterling was mentioned, the old man’s expression improved slightly, he murmured, "That girl... is a good one. Treat her well."
Shane Donovan’s lips curved slightly, "I know."
...
Meanwhile, in the living room downstairs, the atmosphere remained somewhat tense.
Old Mrs. Donovan was holding Grace Quinn’s hand, comforting her softly, "...There, there, don’t cry. It’s just a DNA test, it’s only a formality... After all, for families like ours, the bloodline cannot be confused..."
When Grace Quinn was first brought back to the Donovan Family, it was during the chaotic period when Shane Donovan was supposedly ’blown up’, and Old Mr. Donovan was hospitalized due to illness.
Of course, it was also then that she had taken it upon herself to introduce Grace Quinn into the Donovan Family as Arthur Donovan’s illegitimate daughter.
Back then, she was considering giving Tina Hughes some face, making it less difficult for her.
After all, such matters in a rich family residence were not unusual, people turned a blind eye and it passed.
But now, since Tina Hughes has brought up divorce proceedings, that facade no longer matters.
Since they publicly declared her as Arthur Donovan’s illegitimate daughter, there’s naturally no need to change that.
This identity, Grace Quinn must accept.
"Once the result is out and it proves you indeed are of the Donovan’s bloodline, Grandma will proudly bring you back, and then arrange your wedding with Jasper, make sure it’s splendid!"
She said, her gaze sweeping to the side at Jasper Hawthorne’s ashen face, her tone intentionally changing with an air of superiority, almost condescendingly, "However, our Donovan Family’s daughter cannot be married off randomly. Jasper, if you truly want to marry Grace, you’ll have to follow our Donovan Family’s custom—join us as a son-in-law. And any children you have, they’ll have to bear the Donovan name."
The words "join us as a son-in-law" landed like two resounding slaps on Jasper Hawthorne’s face.
He abruptly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his jaw line taut and veins throbbing at his temples.
For him, Jasper Hawthorne to become a son-in-law?
An utter disgrace!
Grace Quinn kept a close eye on Jasper Hawthorne’s reaction, seeing his face turn extremely unpleasant, fearing he might flip out on the spot, she quickly forced a smile and lightly shook Old Mrs. Donovan’s arm, "Grandma, there’s no rush, we can talk about it later... After all, Jasper and I... we’re very much in love, these things don’t matter..."
As she spoke, she carefully glanced at Jasper Hawthorne’s face, anxious inside.
Jasper Hawthorne’s chest heaved violently, suppressing the surging anger and humiliation, his gaze uncontrollably and instinctively turned towards Stella Sterling’s direction—
He wanted to see her expression at this moment, whether it was mocking, pitying, or... indifferent?
However, Stella Sterling wasn’t even looking their way.
She was slightly turning her head, talking to Rhys Lennox who was seated on the sofa in the corner.
A faint smile played on her lips, as she chatted with a relaxed expression, no one knew what they were talking about.
And Rhys Lennox, although still in his lazy manner, leaning against the sofa, his fingers swiping aimlessly at his phone screen, his gaze was fixed on her face, that dazzling blonde seemed to soften slightly under the lights.
Jasper Hawthorne’s heart felt seized by an invisible hand, sour, unwilling, jealous...
Various emotions twisted like poison vines, nearly suffocating him.
How could she...
How could she smile so brightly at another man when he was in such a state of disgrace?
She could smile so openly at someone like Rhys Lennox whom she had only known for a few days, why was she distinctly cold and distant towards him?
Does this mean...
She still holds him in her heart?
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