Stella Fletcher felt more and more that something was off, so she went to the bar that night and retrieved the surveillance footage.
That night, besides her and Silas Everett, only his assistant Kerry had entered the private room.
So, the words she said while drunk could not have been known by anyone else, let alone be posted online.
So, there was only one possibility: Silas Everett deliberately got her drunk to make her talk.
Moreover, Silas Everett had the motive to do this; he and Caden Hawthorne were already adversaries. If the fake marriage between Vivian Lynch and Caden Hawthorne was exposed, he would be the beneficiary.
Stella Fletcher exported the surveillance footage and then made a phone call to arrange a meeting with Silas Everett. She wanted to ask him face-to-face if he was really using her.
Stella Fletcher arranged to meet Silas Everett at a café the next afternoon.
At the café, Stella Fletcher sat alone in the corner, feeling anxious and uneasy.
In her mind, she kept imagining various possible scenarios, thinking about how she would respond if Silas Everett really admitted to using her.
Time ticked away, and finally, Silas Everett arrived at the agreed location.
Silas Everett sat across from Stella Fletcher, glanced at his watch, and gave a slight smile, "Sorry, the traffic was a bit heavy. I’m late."
Stella Fletcher looked at him, ignoring his words, and bluntly voiced her doubts, her eyes full of questioning: "President Everett, I have a few questions for you."
"Go ahead." Silas Everett slightly raised his hand, still maintaining his gracious demeanor.
"I ask you, that night, did you deliberately invite me out to get me drunk, make me talk, and then expose the fake marriage between Vivian Lynch and Caden Hawthorne?"
Silas Everett slightly frowned, seemingly surprised by her question. "What are you talking about? Why would I do that?"
Stella Fletcher sneered, "You and Caden Hawthorne are adversaries; if this gets exposed, you benefit. And only you and your assistant entered the private room that night. If not you, then who?"
Silas Everett was silent for a moment, then said, "I did nothing of the sort. I’ll admit Silas Everett and I have a competitive relationship, but I wouldn’t use such underhanded tactics."
Stella Fletcher clearly didn’t believe him. "Then how do you explain this? I have the surveillance footage, are you still going to deny it?"
Silas Everett looked at the USB drive in her hand, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "Even if you have the surveillance footage, it doesn’t prove I did it. Maybe someone is trying to frame me?"
Stella Fletcher trembled with anger, "Silas Everett, you’ve really let me down. I always thought you were an upright person, but I didn’t expect this from you."
At this moment, Stella Fletcher didn’t see him as her "boss," but rather a familiar friend, calling him by his first name, revealing her inner fury.
Silas Everett sighed, "Stella, calm down. I will get to the bottom of this. If someone is framing me, I will give you an explanation."
"Enough!" Tears swelled in Stella Fletcher’s eyes as she stood up, "Silas Everett, you don’t need to explain further. From the beginning, you knew I was Vivian’s best friend, didn’t you? You brought me to your side to use me, didn’t you?"
Stella Fletcher stared at his handsome face, as if trying to see through his gentle, jade-like mask.
Were his gentle and intellectual demeanor all an act?
Silas Everett also stood up, looking a bit anxious. "Stella, it’s not what you think. At first, I didn’t know you were Vivian’s best friend, and later, I didn’t intend to use you."
Stella Fletcher shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Silas Everett, I must have been blind to trust you."
With that, Stella Fletcher turned to leave.
Silas Everett quickly reached out to grab her, "Stella, listen to me. This must be a misunderstanding, and I will prove my innocence."
Stella Fletcher forcefully shook off his hand, "No need, I don’t want to hear your explanation anymore. From now on, you’re no longer my boss, and I’m not your employee. Let’s not meet again."
Having said that, Stella Fletcher walked out without looking back.
Stella Fletcher quickly walked out of the café, leaving Silas Everett standing there alone, as tears began to pour down uncontrollably.
Upon discovering she was used by Silas Everett, all the affection Stella had for him collapsed in an instant.
At that moment, Kerry cautiously approached, softly calling out, "President Everett."
"Useless! Didn’t I tell you to handle it? You couldn’t even manage such a small thing and let Stella Fletcher catch a hold of us."
Without waiting for an explanation, Silas Everett slapped Kerry, his eyes filled with rage.
Kerry clutched his face and quickly bowed his head. "I’m sorry, President Everett, it’s my incompetence."
"Fortunately, Stella Fletcher is no longer of any use to me. If she wants to make a fuss, let her!" Silas Everett chuckled coldly, showing none of the previous urgency on his face.
"President Everett, do you want me to send someone to silence her?" Kerry looked worried; since she is Vivian’s best friend, she might tell Vivian anything.
Silas Everett raised a hand dismissively, his face cold, "One less problem to worry about. Don’t forget our main purpose in Aethelgard. Besides, from what I know about her, she won’t say anything."
Kerry looked perplexed. The boss knew Stella Fletcher’s personality so well?
While puzzled, Kerry dared not speak. He knew that Silas Everett was in a foul mood and didn’t want to provoke him further.
Silas Everett remained silent for a moment and then said, "Let’s go. We still have a lot to do."
Kerry quickly nodded and followed Silas Everett out of the café. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵
Alone, Stella Fletcher wandered aimlessly, feeling a dull pain in her heart, just like a broken heart.
All along, she believed Silas Everett promoted her because he trusted her abilities and valued her talents.
Who would have thought, from the beginning, he was setting her up.
This was nothing but a manipulation from start to finish.
The only person to blame was herself for trusting the wrong person. She was this close to offering her true feelings to him.
In retrospect, Stella Fletcher couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking laugh.
Inadvertently, Stella Fletcher found herself outside a bar.
Staring at the bar in front of her, Stella Fletcher hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, she went in, ready to get drunk alone so she wouldn’t think about those sad things.
As Stella Fletcher entered the bar, the dim lights and the noisy music only worsened her mood.
She found a seat in a corner, ordered a strong drink, and downed it in one go.
The spicy taste spread in her mouth, stimulating her taste buds and nerves.
Stella Fletcher closed her eyes, trying to forget those painful things. But Silas Everett’s face kept appearing in her mind, making her heart hurt even more.
She continued drinking several more glasses until her consciousness began to blur.
The people and the sounds around her seemed to drift away; she immersed herself in her own world, feeling the loneliness and loss.
After who knows how long, Stella Fletcher felt someone gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see a handsome man standing in front of her with a concerned expression.
"Miss Fletcher, are you okay?"