Chapter 465: You Said It

Stella Shields watched Anne Sutton as the Linden family’s security guards escorted her out the door.

As she left, she looked back at Anne Sutton. She had always thought she was quite lucky.

Even though Ethan Linden was gone, Nathan Fawcett had treated her very well.

But she never expected that compared to Anne Sutton, she was just a complete and utter clown.

After returning from the Linden residence, Stella Shields went back to Westhaven.

She was in a terrible mood and didn’t want to work anymore.

She felt as if her life had suddenly lost all hope.

Even Ethan Linden, the last person who could have comforted her, was gone.

After she got back, she went straight to the Shields Group.

She entered Justin Shields’s office, only to find Charles Prescott there as well.

Seeing Charles Prescott, Stella Shields asked, "What are you doing here?"

Charles Prescott said, "I came to see your brother."

"What business could my brother possibly have with you?" Stella Shields’s gaze was filled with suspicion.

Hearing her words, Charles Prescott didn’t explain.

Just then, Justin Shields walked in. He was a bit surprised to see Stella Shields. "Stella, what’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be filming?"

"Brother," Stella Shields said, "I want to leave the entertainment industry."

"..." Hearing this, Justin Shields stared at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

The Shields Group had many artists under its banner.

But right now, Stella Shields was the most popular one.

The company’s performance was almost entirely dependent on her.

If she were to quit the industry, Justin Shields didn’t even want to imagine the consequences.

Stella Shields said, "Did you know? Ethan Linden had a child with someone else!"

Justin Shields glanced at her and said, "Why are you still thinking about Ethan Linden after all this time?"

"I’ve loved him for so many years, and I always thought he loved me too. Even though he’s gone, I believed I held a place in his heart! But he actually had a child with another woman. So what was I to him? I meant nothing to him at all."

’It’s my own fault. I thought too highly of myself all these years.’

Justin Shields never expected that Stella Shields would be so devastated by Ethan Linden, a man who had been gone for so long.

He looked at Stella Shields and said, "Stella, Ethan Linden has been gone for a long time. Snap out of it. Have you ever thought about how the company will operate without you?"

Stella Shields said, "I don’t want to deal with that right now. I’m just so tired. Being a celebrity isn’t fun at all."

Before, she had plenty of resources and Nathan Fawcett looking out for her, so she had it easy.

She could be like a princess, doted on by everyone. In the entertainment industry, she was truly the center of attention.

But ever since she parted ways with the Linden family, everything had changed.

She had to compete with others for roles.

She had to suck up to people.

She had to put in much more effort than before.

And she had to watch people curse her out online.

...

Seeing how exhausted she looked, Justin Shields said to Charles Prescott, "I’m going to take Stella home to rest. I’ll leave company matters to you."

Charles Prescott nodded. "Okay."

He had already arrived at Justin Shields’s company; from now on, he would be working at the Shields Group.

Although he had never been involved in the entertainment industry before—his past experience was in the automotive sector—for Charles Prescott, this was no big deal.

He would just treat it as a fresh start in a new industry.

...

Justin Shields escorted Stella Shields out the door.

Stella Shields followed behind Justin Shields. "Charles Prescott is working at our family’s company now?"

"Yes."

"Why did you bring him here?" Stella Shields said. "You know how much Nathan Fawcett hates him. Aren’t you afraid of offending Nathan?"

"Have I not done enough to offend Nathan Fawcett already?" Justin Shields glanced at his sister and said, "I know you’re tired. Get some rest for a few days... But as for leaving the entertainment industry, I hope you’ll think it over carefully. Mom and Dad haven’t been in the best health lately. If you leave, it would be a huge blow to the company. You wouldn’t want them to be worrying about business at a time like this, would you?"

He knew that Stella Shields had always been treated like a princess at home.

She never used to concern herself with such matters. She only entered the entertainment industry because she enjoyed it and had Nathan Fawcett to dote on her, so she just wanted something to do.

It was only natural for her to be willful now.

But if she really left, the company would be severely affected.

Stella Shields said, "I really am tired."

Justin Shields said, "Stella, you’ve lived a privileged life in the Shields family since you were a child, so you don’t understand. If something were to happen to our family one day, you’d be miserable too. At that point, you wouldn’t be in the mood to think about Ethan Linden, understand? You wouldn’t want to see a day where we can’t even afford to eat, would you?"

Stella Shields looked at Justin Shields and asked sorrowfully, "Brother, do you think Ethan Linden ever liked me?"

Justin Shields sighed. "I don’t know."

They were classmates, but that was back in middle school.

That was a long time ago!

He couldn’t really say what kind of person Ethan Linden was.

Stella Shields laughed bitterly. "So it turns out I’m so pathetic I don’t even have anyone who loves me."

Justin Shields looked at her and said, "Don’t think like that. Rest for a couple of days. Oh, and in a few days, I’ll take you on a blind date! You’ve just been single for too long, completely lost in your fantasies about Ethan Linden, so you’ve never had a proper relationship. Once you find someone suitable and build a life with them, you’ll realize that all of this will pass."

"A blind date?" Hearing the words, Stella Shields was very resistant. "Of all the ideas."

Justin Shields looked at her but didn’t press the issue. He just took Stella Shields home first.

...

「That evening, in the hospital.」

Anne Sutton sat in a chair, watching Nathan Fawcett, who was lying in the hospital bed.

After resting for the past two days, he already seemed much better.

Barring any surprises, he would be discharged tomorrow morning.

He rolled over and saw Anne Sutton was there. "When did you get here?" he asked.

"I came over after putting Ian and Finn to sleep," said Anne Sutton. "You’re all alone in the hospital. I was worried you’d be lonely, so I came to keep you company."

Nathan Fawcett looked at her and smiled. "Thank you."

...

Anne Sutton looked at the man as he took her hand. "What were you dreaming about just now?" she asked. "You looked very troubled."

’It was rare to see him look so tense in his sleep.’

Hearing her words, Nathan Fawcett paused for a moment. Recalling his dream, his expression darkened. He said, "I dreamed that you left with Charles Prescott. You didn’t want me anymore, and you didn’t want Ian either."

"..." Anne Sutton froze at his words. "I think Caleb Summers’s recent nonsense has gotten to you. Even if you were gone one day, I would never get together with Charles Prescott, understand?"

’The moment he lumped me together with Charles Prescott, I started to get angry.’

’How could I possibly run off with Charles Prescott?’

’Am I crazy?’

Nathan Fawcett looked at Anne Sutton, the corners of his mouth lifting. "You said it."

"Yes!" Anne Sutton said. "You can rest easy, old man! If I really had any such ideas, wouldn’t it be better to find some new ’little fresh meat’? Why would I go for a scumbag like Charles Prescott?"